April 15, 2024
JOE LAMBERTI/USA TODAY NETWORK
Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. and his wife, Atlantic City Public Schools Superintendent La'Quetta Small, have been charged with endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly abusing their teenage daughter, authorities said.
Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. and his wife, La'Quetta Small, were charged Monday with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office.
"It is alleged that during the months of December 2023 and January 2024, the defendants physically and emotionally abused their 15/16-year-old-daughter on multiple occasions," the prosecutor's office said in a release.
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The mayor was additionally charged with third-degree terroristic threats, third-degree aggravated assault and disorderly persons simple assault. La'Quetta, who is the superintendent of Atlantic City Public Schools, was also charged with three separate counts of disorderly persons simple assault.
In one instance, the prosecutors said Marty, 50, hit his daughter multiple times in the head with a broom, causing her to lose consciousness. During an argument with his daughter, he allegedly threatened to hurt her by "earth slamming" her down the stairs, which the release described as "grabbing her head and throwing her to the ground and smacking the weave out of her head." In another incident, he is accused of punching his daughter repeatedly in the legs, causing bruising.
La'Quetta, 47, is accused of punching her daughter multiple times in the chest, leaving bruising. In another incident, prosecutors said she dragged her daughter by the hair then struck her with a belt on her shoulders, leaving marks. She also allegedly punched her daughter in the mouth during an argument.
The Special Victims Unit of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office investigated these incidents. Anyone with information can call 609-909-7800 or share it online.
On March 28, officers for the Prosecutor's Office reportedly searched the Smalls' home on Presbyterian Avenue. In a news conference held days later, the mayor spoke out addressing speculation. He said the search was prompted by a "family matter" and did not stem from his actions as mayor or from "corruption."
"We don't have Atlantic City Housing Authority money in our house," he said during the conference. "We don't have City of Atlantic City money in our house. I didn't steal anything. ... No, we don't have drugs in our house. And we don't have guns."
He also denied rumors that his daughter was pregnant.
Small's lawyer, Ed Jacobs, also spoke during the news conference on April 1. He said for the last few months, county prosecutors have been investigating the couple, and authorities went to the couple's home to gather cellphones and laptops.
During the news conference, Small questioned whether there may be "political and racial" motivations for the investigation and the public nature of the search warrant served at his home. The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office issued a statement in response, denying the search of Small's property was excessive and saying that officers "conducted themselves in the highest professional manner."
At the news conference, Small also addressed speculation that his warrant was tied to charges that were filed on March 28 against Constance Days-Chapman, the principal of Atlantic City High School. Days-Chapman formerly served as the mayor's campaign manager and now chairs the Atlantic City Democratic Committee. Small described her as a close family friend, said they're "often in each other's company" and that she "did absolutely nothing wrong."
Prosecutors alleged that Days-Chapman had failed to disclose a report from a juvenile who said she was "emotionally and physically abused" by her parents. The student allegedly said she had reported abuse to Days-Chapman before she went to another school staff member for help. Days-Chapman denied that she knew about the situation earlier and said she would notify the Division of Child Protection and Permanency following the more recent report, prosecutors said.
According to investigators, Days-Chapman met with the child's parents at their house to share what she had been told by the school staff member. DCPP told investigators that the office never received a report of abuse from Days-Chapman or any other representative from the school. Days-Chapman was charged with hindering apprehension of another, obstruction of justice and failure to report child abuse.
During the April 1 news conference, Small and his attorney declined to answer questions about whether one of Small's children was the juvenile who reported abuse.
Atlantic City's City Council President Aaron Randolph said, “You will be informed,” when the Press of Atlantic City asked what the council plans to do in the wake of the charges. The city council is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
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