Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr., 50, and his wife, La’Quetta Small, 47, who is superintendent of Atlantic City public schools, were both charged on April 15 with endangering the welfare of a child.
Prosecutors from Atlantic County, New Jersey, allege that during December 2023 and January 2024, the defendants physically and emotionally abused their 15/16-year-old-daughter on multiple occasions.
Marty Small Sr., is alleged to have hit his daughter multiple times in the head with a broom, causing her to lose consciousness, according to Atlantic County prosecutors.
In a press release, they further stated: “Another incident alleged that Marty Small Sr., during an argument with his daughter, continuously threatened to hurt her by ‘earth slamming’ her down the stairs, grabbing her head and throwing her to the ground, and smacking the weave out of her head.
“Another incident involved Marty Small, Sr., punching his daughter repeatedly in her legs causing bruising.
“It is alleged that La’Quetta Small, during one incident, punched her daughter multiple times on her chest, leaving bruising.
“Another incident alleged that La’Quetta Small dragged her daughter by her hair then struck her with a belt on her shoulders, leaving marks. Another incident alleged that La’Quetta Small punched her daughter in the mouth during an argument.”
Marty Small Sr., was additionally charged with third-degree terroristic threats, third-degree aggravated assault, and disorderly persons simple assault. La’Quetta Small was additionally charged with three separate counts of disorderly persons simple assault.
In a statement to The Epoch Times, Edwin Jacobs, Mr. Small’s attorney, said: “These complaints focus exclusively on private family matters, basically attempting to second guess parental decisions of Mayor Small and his wife, La’Quetta.
“These complaints were issued on summonses; that means no arrests were made and no bails were set,” Mr. Jacobs said.
“Mayor Marty Small remains the mayor in the city of Atlantic City and will continue to faithfully perform all of his duties as mayor.
“And he and his wife La’Quetta and their two children remain a close and loving and intact family.
“Mayor Small and Superintendent La’Quetta Small are completely innocent of any wrongdoing and will ultimately be vindicated.”
The Small residence in Atlantic City was raided by law enforcement officers on March 28.
That same day, Constance Days-Chapman, principal of Atlantic City High School and a close friend of the Small family, was charged with second-degree official misconduct, third-degree hindering apprehension of another, fourth-degree obstruction of justice, and disorderly persons failure to report child abuse.
According to a statement by Atlantic County prosecutors, a high school student informed a staff member that the student had been emotionally and physically abused by the student’s parents, and the student had previously disclosed the abuse to Ms. Days-Chapman.
Ms. Days-Chapman denied that the student had disclosed abuse to her previously, but said she would report the matter to the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P), according to prosecutors.
Ms. Days-Chapman met with the juvenile’s parents at their home and informed them of the abuse disclosure, according to prosecutors.
DCP&P confirmed that they received no disclosure regarding the abuse of the juvenile from Days-Chapman or any other Atlantic City High School staff member, prosecutors said.
Following the raid by prosecutors, Mr. Jacobs, the mayor’s attorney, convened a press conference on April 1, attended by Mr. Small, his wife, and his two children.
“On March 28, five search warrants were executed on Mayor Small, his wife, their vehicles and the home where they live with their two children and La’Quetta’s mother in a very public and very aggressive manner,” Mr. Jacobs said.
“This entire investigation arose from nothing more than a personal and emotional family matter in the Small household,” he said. “They have the same private lives and challenges as every other parent. It is unusual to see a search warrant issued in family matters, but it was done here.”
Mr. Small also spoke, first expressing his support for Ms. Days-Chapman, whom he described as, “a dear personal friend who is often with our family, who was my campaign manager and chair of the Atlantic City Democratic Committee.”
Mr. Small said that during the raid in a driving rainstorm, 20 law enforcement officials with guns, rifles, and battering rams went into his house and searched for three-and-a-half hours. “They did all of this just for a cell phone and laptops,” he said.
News of Atlantic City Mayor Small and his wife being charged with child endangerment lit a media firestorm, with national and international coverage.
“Transcripts of those recordings, along with interviews detailed in the court filing, paint the picture of a teenage girl in turmoil who doesn’t feel safe at home and is constantly told how she is a disappointment to her parents,” Ms. Cohen wrote.
“I’ve been mentally, emotionally, verbally, and physically abused and it’s a lot,” the daughter wrote to a friend on Instagram, according to Ms. Cohen. “I’m overwhelmed and I keep crying every night.”
Mr. Small has been accused of wrongdoing before. Twice he was charged with voter fraud, in 2006 and 2009. Both times he was acquitted.
After the second acquittal, Mr. Small filed a lawsuit against the state of New Jersey, three deputy attorney generals and two detectives for malicious prosecution and civil rights violations. He claimed the 2009 case was retribution for his 2005 acquittal.
