Man pleads guilty to stalking Mayor Mendenhall over LGBTQ, Black rights flags
A Farmington man has pleaded guilty to stalking Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall after a series of threats and actions tied to her role in advancing inclusive city flag designs representing LGBTQ+, transgender, and Black communities.
Jason Guy Rogers, 45, pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count of stalking, a Class A misdemeanor, in 2nd District Court. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 15. The charge stems from a wave of threatening social media posts and an in-person appearance at City Hall in May, shortly after the Salt Lake City Council unanimously approved new city flag designs.
The flags, approved on May 6, were created to allow the city to continue flying symbols of LGBTQ+ Pride and Juneteenth after a new state law, H.B. 77, took effect. The law restricts the display of non-approved flags on government property, a move critics have said was aimed at removing Pride flags and other symbols of inclusion from public buildings. In response, city leaders adopted three new official city flags, each incorporating the sego lily while recognizing LGBTQ+ residents, transgender Utahns, and Black history and liberation.
According to charging documents, Rogers began posting violent threats on the social media platform X the day after the council vote. Under news coverage of the flag decision, prosecutors say Rogers wrote statements including “we need to end some politicians” and escalated to direct threats against Mendenhall and her family, telling others to “end them immediately.”
Law enforcement identified Rogers as the author of the posts and contacted him at his Farmington home on May 20. During that interaction, Rogers acknowledged being upset about the flag designs but claimed his social media account had been hacked. Prosecutors allege that shortly after police left, the same account posted another message directed at the mayor: “Time for action.”
Later that day, security staff at the Salt Lake City-County Building reported seeing Rogers arrive at City Hall. Surveillance video showed him driving the same truck and wearing the same clothing as during the earlier police encounter. He was seen walking around the building and attempting to open multiple locked side doors before approaching the main entrance. When he noticed security officers inside, he left without entering.
Rogers was arrested that afternoon by Salt Lake City police and later booked into the Davis County Jail. Prosecutors allege that his actions constituted a course of conduct that would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety or the safety of others.
Mayor Mendenhall’s office has declined to comment ahead of sentencing, saying she will address the matter after the January hearing.
At the time the flags were introduced, Mendenhall framed them as an expression of shared civic values rather than political statements. “When it comes to representing our city’s values, I know we can do more than fly a single flag,” she said. “Three more, to be precise.”
