Teacher Taped 9-Year-Old Student to a Desk for an Hour, Teacher's Aide Did Not Intervene

A teacher in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, is now facing child abuse charges after taping a nine-year-old student to a desk for nearly an hour.

Todd Lewis, 57, was working as a teacher at Lenox Elementary School in October when he reportedly used a masking tape and placed it around the back of the student's neck before securing the young boy to his desk.

Law enforcement officials said the nine-year-old was left in that position for between 40 to 50 minutes, per NJ.com, citing Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes. It is unclear who freed the student after. It was also unclear what led to the incident.

Where Was the Teacher at the Time?

Officials said Sallyann Scala, the teacher's aide, 67, "failed to intervene" at the time of the incident despite being present in the classroom.

Lewis has since been charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. He has been released from police custody on monitoring conditions. He is also prohibited from having any contact with minor children, including the victim, according to Patch.

Scala, on the other hand, was charged with fourth-degree abuse and neglect of children. She was not arrested.

Both Lewis and Scala have been placed on administrative leave while awaiting the outcome of the court proceedings. District Superintendent Paul Amoroso noted that they have taken measures to ensure neither staffer has access to school premises.

"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," he added in a statement.

Other Incidents of Child Neglect

Earlier this year, a West Clermont High School student was allegedly taped to a chair by school staff by a former teacher and aide. It is noted that the student has Down syndrome and autism.

The incident was discovered after one of the two staffers recorded the aide restraining the student by taping him to a chair. His arms were positioned down to his side, and he was taped from his arms around his waist.

Speaking to the police, the staffers said they taped the student to the chair as part of a joke. They have since been charged with misdemeanor unlawful restraint.