Atlantic City’s Democrat mayor, Marty Small, and his wife, La’Quetta Small, a school superintendent, have been charged with child abuse involving their teenage daughter.
The couple was charged on Monday with accusations of physical and emotional abuse spanning several months.
BREAKING: Atlantic City mayor, wife charged with viciously beating teenage daughter, prosecutor says
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) April 15, 2024
"During one incident, Marty Small, Sr. is alleged to have hit his daughter multiple times in the head with a broom causing her to lose consciousness. Another incident alleged… pic.twitter.com/WKQ71pWQmV
Marty Small Sr., 50, is facing charges of second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, third-degree Terroristic Threats, third-degree Aggravated Assault, and disorderly persons Simple Assault.
The investigation, led by the Special Victims Unit of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, uncovered a series of troubling incidents that occurred between December 2023 and January 2024.
In one incident, Mayor Small is accused of repeatedly hitting his daughter on the head with a broom, rendering her unconscious.
Further allegations describe how, during a heated argument, he threatened to “earth slam” her down the stairs, forcefully grabbed her head, threw her to the ground, and struck her so severely that it was described as “smacking the weave out of her head.” Additionally, he is alleged to have caused bruising by repeatedly punching his daughter in the legs.
La’Quetta Small faces similar accusations of violent behavior. She allegedly punched her daughter multiple times in the chest, resulting in bruising, dragged her by her hair, and struck her with a belt on her shoulders, leaving marks. In another incident, during an argument, she is accused of punching her daughter in the mouth.
6abc reported:
Word of these charges comes exactly two weeks after Mayor Small was joined by his family at a news conference to address a search warrant that had been served at his home a few days before.
Earlier this month, Mayor Small held a news conference in City Hall to say that a search of his home in late March involved “a private family issue,” not a crime.
Mayor Small said at the news conference that he and his wife have been interacting with state child welfare authorities and have nothing to hide.
“We’re going through family therapy, and that’s what this should be, a family matter,” he said.
The search warrant at Small’s house happened the same day the principal of Atlantic City High School Constance Days-Chapman was arrested.
The Atlantic County Prosecutor says Days-Chapman failed to report allegations of child abuse to proper authorities when a student came forward.
