A teacher and a teacher’s aide have been arrested after they allegedly taped an elementary school student’s neck to his desk for nearly an hour.
A 57-year-old teacher named Todd Lewis was accused of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, according to a report by NJ.com. The teacher’s aide, Sallyann Scala, was present in the classroom but did not take action, investigators disclosed. As a result, she faced charges of fourth-degree child abuse and neglect.
Lewis was released to home monitoring, while Scala, 67, was given a summons to appear, WNYW said.
Lewis was ordered to have no contact with minors, including the victim, according to NJ.com
The investigation began on October 31 when a 9-year-old student at Lenox Elementary School in Pompton Lakes said that Lewis had put masking tape on the back of his neck and taped his head to a desk a day earlier. The child said he was taped to the desk for 40 to 50 minutes.
The superintendent of the school district said Lewis and Scala were placed on leave and barred from campus.
“We want to assure our parents, students, staff and school community that we are working very closely with law enforcement to guarantee the safety and security of our students,” district Superintendent Paul Amoroso said.
