A New Jersey educator accused of taping a student’s head to a desk for nearly an hour has returned his teaching license after voluntarily agreeing to surrender his certificates.
Todd Lewis, a 58-year-old Wayne resident, was arrested last December following the alleged incident that occurred two months earlier. He was charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, Pompton Lakes police said at the time.
According to authorities, Lewis allegedly used masking tape to restrain a 9-year-old boy at Lenox Elementary School in Pompton Lakes. He was put on leave following the complaint.
Earlier this year, in August, Lewis agreed to relinquish his two elementary school teaching certificates, which he’d held since 2004 and 2005, according to the New Jersey State Board of Examiners. He was required to return the physical certificates within 30 days.
Lewis has not yet faced trial in the case. If convicted, he could be sentenced to between five and 10 years in New Jersey State Prison.
According to police, teachers aide Sallyann Scala, 68, was also in the classroom and failed to intervene as the young victim spent 40 to 50 minutes bound to his desk with tape around his neck.
She has been charged with fourth-degree abuse and neglect of children. The maximum sentence for those charges is 18 months.
