ELIZABETHTON — Donna Rogan was given a difficult first assignment in her law enforcement career. The 22-year-old deputy with the Carter County Sheriff’s Department was asked to serve as an undercover agent for this school year to determine the amount of drug activity in the high schools in the county.
While she posed as Hannah Reagan during school and extracurricular activities, it took more of her life than that. In order not to blow her cover, Rogan had to temporarily give up the most important things in her life. She had to stop attending First Christian Church in Johnson City and couldn’t afford to be seen with other young adults and friends.
Sheriff Chris Mathes said that for the past 10 months she has had to put her real life in a shoe box.
Looking back on the difficult first assignment, Rogan said, “I am glad I did it,” but she admits she would be hesitant to repeat it. “It seemed like a lot longer time.”
Rogan had some unique advantages for her role. Her family is from the Albany, N.Y., area, so she had no preconceptions or prejudices, and her mother had a degree in theater from Skidmore College. Rogan was exposed to theater from a young age and knew character development. But the longest she had ever had to be in character was a two-hour play. During the undercover operation, she had to be in character for an entire school year.
Rogan moved to the Tri-Cities in the third grade. She attended public schools in elementary school, then attended St. Mary’s in Johnson City for middle school and Tri-Cities Christian School for high school, so she had no previous experience being in a public high school.
“I was interested in law enforcement since early in high school,” Rogan said. She participated in the Explorer program with the Johnson City Police Department and is majoring in law enforcement as a senior at East Tennessee State University.
The idea for the undercover operation came from Mathes, who worked undercover during his time with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. Mathes said he had heard from parents who were worried about drug activity in the high schools and was looking for the right person to conduct an undercover operation.
Rogan’s first experience with the sheriff’s department came in January 2012, when she responded to an article in the paper about tryouts for the department’s reserve officer program. During the first night of the training, prospective reserve officers were asked to introduce themselves. Rogan discussed her interest in law enforcement, especially in working in drug enforcement.
She impressed department personnel during the program’s training, with her class work and her potential. Mathes believed he had found the officer he needed to go undercover. He began coordinating with 1st Judicial District Attorney General Tony Clark and Director of Schools Kevin Ward to set up the operation while Rogan was sent to the law enforcement academy.
Rogan said she did not make quite as good a first impression at the academy as she had in the reserve program. She reported to the academy in a business suit and high heels and soon found herself wearing those clothes while participating in the first physical training session. One of the instructors told her “you came to the wrong building, the cocktail waitress course is in another building.” He started referring to her as Barbie.
From that rocky start, Rogan excelled. “We got rave reviews from the academy whenever we checked on her,” Mathes said.
When she graduated, the instructor came to her to admit she had come to the right building and told her she could do well in law enforcement.
Soon after her return from the academy, Rogan was prepared for her assignment. A support team helped her to capture the look of a Carter County high school senior. She set up a Facebook account which helped her learn some of the acronyms and other words that were popular.
Finally, her first day of high school arrived.
“It was like going to high school for the first time. I was worried about whether I would make friends,” Rogan said. She didn’t have to worry. Fellow students were quick to show her around and offer friendship. It was also easy to find out about the drug culture. She remembers one student welcoming her to the high school by saying it was where the students were higher than the grades.
Mathes said Rogan’s role was never to entrap a student, merely to go along with the drug culture. She was quickly accepted into that culture and found she was shunned, but not treated in an unfriendly manner, by the more serious students.
She did feel shunned and lonely when she transferred to another school and Hannah’s drug-culture reputation was not tolerated by most of the student body.
In addition to identifying drug problems in the schools, Rogan also was able to shine a light on many positives in the schools. Teachers and counselors who cared and offered to help her and students who were there to learn.
But she uncovered some problems unrelated to drugs. In one class, the teacher frequently left the room. One day a student took advantage of the situation to expose himself to Hannah.
“Most of the males just laughed,” Rogan said. “Most of the females were disgusted.”
She was surprised the action did not go beyond the students as none of the students told parents or school staff about the incident.
“That just would never have been tolerated where I went to school,” Rogan said.
As bad as the experience was, Rogan said she was glad it happened to her rather than one of the real students, who might have been traumatized by the event.
Rogan said she was also surprised by the parents who condoned or even encouraged their children’s lifestyle choices.
Rogan said some of the most difficult moments of her job were watching classmates make bad choices. She wanted so bad to step out of character and counsel them on how the decisions they were making would have negative impact a few years down the road.
Rogan also felt the pressure of living her character day after day. She had to give up her social life and her church life during the months she was undercover.
She said her daily routine consisted of going to school during the day, reporting to her support team at the sheriff’s department every afternoon in person or by email and taking classes at ETSU during the evening.
The undercover operation came to an end a bit earlier than planned, Mathes said, when guns entered the scenario. One of the parents was a felon in possession of guns and Hannah was scheduled to go shooting with the family.
Mathes said he knew the scenario was getting dangerous and decided Rogan’s assignment could finally come to a successful conclusion.
Rogan now proudly wears the uniform of a law enforcement officer out in the open for everyone to know what she stands for.
ladivolfan writes:
March 14, 2013
5:28 AM
I am astounded that her picture and real name are published. Carter County and Johnson City Press have set up this officer as a target.
proudorange writes:
March 14, 2013
6:22 AM
I agree TOTALLY with the above "blogs". It takes absolute, uncaring FOOLS to show & publish all this PERSONAL information! Sheriff Mathes does NOT and has NEVER, out of "common sense" publicly provided pictures/names/personal details of undercover assignments other officers of his may have done on duty OR especially of his covert assignment while employed with the DEA.
Now this young woman's life has been completely destroyed as long as she & her family are residents of this area. You KNOW that the white trash she's help get convicted/charged with these crimes will have some, if not MANY of their family members with a vendetta to make her life and/or her families lives a living HADES as they will have revenge as a motivation towards her! No one in their right mind would continue to live around here with THAT hanging over their shoulders! God bless her for her courage and commitment! But I only forsee the entire family moving away from this area ASAP to hopefully live a normal life without fear of retaliation following them constantly! All because of local media's "sensationalism". Abysmal & pathetic!!!
dallasman writes:
March 14, 2013
7:36 AM
Stupid, Stupid, Stupid. Hey Chris, why don't you give the name of each of your undercover officers, and yeah, post their picture too. I can't believe you did this. I admire what this brave officer did. However you have put her and her family in serious jeopardy. Why didn't you just give her address and phone number out as well. Oh that's right, we don't need that we have her first and last name. You sir are a moron.
alphasecretary writes:
March 14, 2013
7:58 AM
i agree that it shouldn't have been published who the undercover officer was...however, i do want to say...job well done young lady! Thank you for sacrificing your life for justice's sake and I pray for your safety and the safety of your family. You should be very proud of your accomplishment and possibly opening the eyes of many young adults that they will be caught in their crimes and there are consequences to their behaviors. I know you probably only scratched the surface but thanks again for your faithful duty!!!
project86 writes:
March 14, 2013
7:59 AM
I thought this was supposed to be an undercover operation. I guess this was her first and last. Sounds like she would have made a great one. I am impressed with what they did but you don't go blasting it all over the news media.
99hockeyman writes:
March 14, 2013
8:04 AM
What did Buford T. Justice aka Chris Mathes think he was doing? Bringing back 21 Jump Street? Did they film this for a reality series? Cleaning up drugs on the mean streets of Carter County.
thinkingonthis writes:
March 14, 2013
8:01 AM
I was prepared to write alot on this! Thanks to all the above I don't have to! How STUPID is this to release this information!!!!!! Just sayin"!!!!!!!!
thinkingonthis writes:
March 14, 2013
8:05 AM
As I took the time to read this in depth, I know this family! I am surprised that her Dad would have allowed this article to be in the paper. I guess since she is an adult, he didn't have much say so. I am glad for what has come of it but I agree 100% with the other postings. Just give her address, go to her church, see her mother, etc! This article has shocked me. I thought Chris Mathes was smarter than this!
oldgal47 writes:
March 14, 2013
8:40 AM
Ms. Rogan may wear her uniform proudly out in the open but Chris Mathes had made it impossible for her to live a normal life now. She won't be able to grocery shop or certainly not go shopping at Walmart because her picture is on the front page of the newspaper for every criminal to see. I have never in all my years seen an undercover cop's picture, name, and personal information shared with the public. SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS IS JUST NOT DONE AND SHOULD HAVE SPOKEN UP BEFORE THIS INFORMATION WAS SHARED!!!! Chris Mathes needs to go back to the Academy himself and learn some rules and regulations before he causes more trouble for this young lady and other undercover operatives.
justmyopinion2012 writes:
March 14, 2013
9:52 AM
Well I suppose her first undercover assignment was her last.
justathought writes:
March 14, 2013
10:17 AM
...this is easy...see above posts!
PugLover917 writes:
March 14, 2013
10:13 AM
Way to go. You just put her and her family in serious danger. Now if you need someone to go back into undercover as a young female that can blend in to the young adult scene you dont have anyone cause you just ruined her undercover career. Not to mention you just put a sign on her so people can make threats towards her and possibly harm her. People are quacks these days and who know who she helped bring to justice but you can just about guarantee that they will find her and possibly do great harm to her. Chris Mathes needs to keep his mouth closed about issues that go on at the police station.
But that is my opinion. I agree with everyone above me. This article does not need to be posted for the public to read. Maybe an internal article at the station to let fellow officers know of her good doings but not the crazy public.
Rant over.
commonsensical writes:
March 14, 2013
11:26 AM
So many problems with this. First, it is so wrong that this officer's safety has been so compromised by such a frivolous article. Second, why the heck would we target one of the poorest counties and ruin students' lives before they have even begun? Let's just keep these poor people impoverished forever with insurmountable debt from legal trouble! So much for rehabilitation for the people who need it most. This is absolutely sickening.
jcresident writes:
March 14, 2013
11:44 AM
I generally agree with everything that has been said, with a few exceptions. First, I agree that this will have to be her last undercover assignment and that it was probably stupid to run this article. But having said that, the cover was already blown. The police department is small enough and the county small enough that everyone in that school, their parents, and then everyone else that wants to know- already knows who it was. Second, I have an issue with the above post that we should not target these types of crimes. There was a sexual assault, and multiple drug arrests not only from students but from adults. A parent should not have to send their kids to schools like this (another support for vouchers), and a sheriff should be allowed to do these types of operations to try to clean it up.
water boy writes:
March 14, 2013
1:43 PM
I think by publishing all the this event this is the most ridiculous stunt I have ever seen too! There maybe someone that transfers from another school that will be in danger because they will be supected of being an undercover agent .I would hate to transfer to a Carter County School after this information was made public . I thought Chris Mathes was smarter than this!
LindaM writes:
March 14, 2013
2:09 PM
Congratulations, Donna, on a job well done. I hope this is the beginning of a successful career for you. That being said, I think it is inappropriate and sexist for an academy instructor to refer to her as a "cocktail waitress" and "Barbie" because she chose to dress in a professional manner. That instructor really needs to grow up and inspire his students, not denigrate them.
justmyopinion2012 writes:
March 14, 2013
3:06 PM
commonsensical, you should change your name to nonsensical. I find your position absurd. You exemplify a huge problem in our society. Lack of personal accountability and transfering blame. The students ruined their own lives by selling drugs. If they're poor and they need money, they can go get a job at McDonald's, etc. like "normal" teenagers do. I don't get this continued defense of drug dealers and users.
commonsensical writes:
March 15, 2013
9:42 AM
I never said that those types types of crimes should not be targeted. The method that was utilized to target those crimes in the case of the students (not at all referring to the adults in the sting) is counterproductive to society. If we label our youth as criminals before they have even graduated they will have a difficult, if not impossible time finding decent jobs because of having a criminal record and they will likely grow up to be deviants and further tax burdens because they cannot find legitimate employment. If I exemplify a huge problem in society because I believe that people should be rehabilitated rather than negatively stigmatized for the rest of their lives, then I'm happy to be that kind of problem.
u4real writes:
March 17, 2013
4:03 PM
i dont see why everyone is so upset because they published her identity. let her get her credit if thats the case. this will not affect her negatively because there is nothing but so called christian "do-gooders" around here anyway.
proudorange writes:
March 20, 2013
12:44 PM
u4real...uh I guess you're "OK" with those christian "do-gooders" coming after YOU & your family were it YOU in the deputies shoes? It's hard to believe this is the 21st century with inept minds like yours, and MANY others, on these blog sites! Scary, scary indeed!
u4real writes:
March 22, 2013
8:07 AM
proudorange, you misunderstand. let her get credit for the job she chose to do. christian do gooders around here will do nothing to her. and as far as my inept mind is concerned, i wouldnt be in those shoes, i really doubt anyone would come after me or mine, and this is tenessee- the 21st century hasnt got here yet.
proudorange writes:
March 22, 2013
11:54 AM
u4real...it is NOT the "Christian Do-Gooders" who'll come after her, that is obvious; however it IS the low-life, white trash thugs who'll only have ONE motive in their worthless lives and that is making this deputies and her families life miserable with the "revenge" factor. That is to whom I'm referring to.
You need to read the article of March 15th in the Press archives about the "Threat via Facebook..." which targets a local law enforcement officer. And I never said anything about "credit" with regard to this courageous young woman. who'll make the DEA or any other law enforcement agency she should attain as employment an outstanding servant of the public!
u4real writes:
March 26, 2013
7:36 PM
proudorange, surely we dont have white trash thugs around here. too much fear.... and i think its ok to give the girl credit for what she did. i did read the article you are refering to and it seems a little bit of an over reaction. its hard to consider it a threat when the guy was talking to a 3rd person.
provided.