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N.J. Teacher Accused of Taping 9-Year-Old’s Head Gives Up Licenses

The criminal case has shifted into New Jersey’s pretrial intervention system, which can erase charges upon successful completion.

Overview

  • Todd Lewis, 58, voluntarily surrendered his two New Jersey elementary teaching certificates in August, state board records show.
  • Police allege he used masking tape to secure a 9-year-old’s head to a desk for roughly 40–50 minutes at Lenox Elementary School in Pompton Lakes.
  • He was arrested in December 2024 on second-degree child endangerment, with charges later reduced to fourth-degree abuse and neglect, according to court records.
  • In July 2025, Lewis entered a 12-month Pretrial Intervention program; teacher’s aide Sallyann Scala, 68, faces a fourth-degree charge and was assigned about seven months of PTI.
  • Both employees were placed on administrative leave, neither has been convicted, and prosecutors did not immediately comment on the licensing development.