April 18th 2024.
The mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey, and his wife have recently been accused of physically and emotionally abusing their teenage daughter. The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office made this announcement on April 15th, revealing that Marty Small Sr. and his wife La'Quetta are facing second-degree charges of endangering the welfare of a child. Mr. Small has also been charged with third-degree terroristic threats, aggravated assault, and simple assault, while Mrs. Small, who happens to be the superintendent of Atlantic City Public Schools, is facing a disorderly persons charge of simple assault.
According to investigators, the minor in question, who is only 15 and 16 years old, has endured both physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her parents on multiple occasions between December 2023 and January 2024. One particular incident involved the mayor allegedly striking his daughter in the head several times with a broom, causing her to lose consciousness. Another time, during an argument, Mr. Small threatened to harm his daughter by "earth-slamming" her down the stairs and pulling her hair out. He is also accused of repeatedly punching her in the legs, leaving bruises.
Mrs. Small is also being accused of participating in the abuse, with one incident involving her dragging her daughter by her hair and hitting her with a belt on her shoulders, leaving visible marks. During another argument, she allegedly punched her daughter in the mouth. These allegations first came to light during a mental health training for students at Atlantic City High School in January 2024, where the students were asked to indicate their emotions on an "exit ticket." The mayor's daughter circled the neutral face and wrote "abuse," expressing her desire to speak to a counselor on the back of the ticket.
A school employee came across the ticket and passed it on to a mental health trainer, leading to the involvement of the police. When questioned by detectives, the teen mentioned that she had already spoken to the school principal, Constance Days-Chapman. However, upon being approached by officers, the principal claimed that the teen had not mentioned any abuse, and she would have reported it to the Department of Child Protection & Permanency if she had known about it.
Later that day, during a virtual session with her therapist, the teen finally opened up about the abuse she was facing at home. She expressed how stressed and unstable she felt and how she did not feel safe in her own home. Despite the allegations, Mayor Small maintained his innocence, and during a press conference on April 1st, he even said that he had "nothing to hide." The couple has refused to comment on the charges, but their family attorney, Ed Jacobs, released a statement stating that the charges do not involve any misconduct in the mayor's position.
"The charges filed by the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office today do not allege any public corruption or misconduct in office. Instead, they focus solely on personal and private family matters," stated Jacobs. "The mayor has always properly discharged his duties and responsibilities as the mayor of Atlantic City."
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