Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. and his wife, La’Quetta Small, the city’s superintendent of schools, have been indicted on charges of child endangerment and other offenses, prosecutors announced on Wednesday. The charges stem from allegations that the couple repeatedly abused their teenage daughter.
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The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office stated that a grand jury handed down the indictment on Tuesday, accusing the Smalls of child endangerment. Marty Small also faces charges of assault and making terroristic threats.
Prosecutors claim that between December 2023 and January 2024, the couple physically and emotionally abused their daughter, who was between 15 and 16 years old during the incidents.
In a statement to media, Marty Small said, “All people have heard is one side of the story. We look forward to telling our side.” He added that his daughter continues to live at home with them.
Ed Jacobs, Marty Small’s lawyer, emphasized that the charges have no connection to Small’s role as Atlantic City mayor. “There’s no accusation of corruption or official misconduct. This is a private family matter that doesn’t need the involvement of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office,” Jacobs said. He expressed confidence that the couple would be exonerated, describing them as “good parents raising a teenage child.”
According to the indictment, on January 13, 2024, Marty Small allegedly struck his daughter multiple times in the head with a broom, causing her to lose consciousness. Prosecutors also allege that on January 3, 2024, during an argument, Small grabbed his daughter’s head, threw her to the ground, and threatened to throw her down the stairs. He allegedly made threatening remarks, including saying he would “smack the weave out” of her hair. In another instance, he is accused of punching her legs, leaving bruises.
La’Quetta Small, 47, faces allegations of hitting her daughter multiple times in the chest, resulting in bruises. In a separate incident, she allegedly dragged her daughter by the hair and struck her with a belt, leaving marks on her shoulders. She is also accused of punching her daughter in the mouth during an argument.
The indictment of the Smalls follows the recent indictment of Constance Days-Chapman, the principal of Atlantic City High School. Days-Chapman faces charges of official misconduct and child endangerment for allegedly failing to report the abuse to child welfare authorities, as required by law. Instead, she reportedly informed the Smalls of their daughter’s disclosure. Days-Chapman is a close friend of the family and works under La’Quetta Small. Her attorney maintains her innocence.
The case centers on allegations that the Smalls’ daughter had confided in Days-Chapman about suffering from constant headaches due to being beaten at home. However, prosecutors claim that rather than reporting the situation, Days-Chapman chose to notify the Smalls.
