MAYS LANDING, N.J. — The mayor of Atlantic City, along with his wife—who serves as the superintendent of schools for the gambling destination—entered a not guilty plea on Thursday regarding allegations of physical and emotional abuse towards their teenage daughter. Their attorney asserted that “parenting struggles do not equate to criminal behavior.”
Mayor Marty Small Sr. and La’Quetta Small were indicted last month on charges of child endangerment and other related offenses. According to prosecutors, the couple allegedly inflicted both physical harm and emotional distress upon their daughter, who was between 15 and 16 years old during the incidents that reportedly occurred over December and January, with accusations of abuse severe enough to leave her unconscious on at least one occasion.
Both individuals face charges of child endangerment, while Marty Small, aged 50, additionally faces accusations of assault and making terroristic threats. The couple maintains their innocence, labeling the situation as a family issue rather than a criminal matter.
During the court proceedings, neither Small nor his wife made any comments. However, Small’s attorney, Ed Jacobs, released a statement asserting that the couple are “completely innocent” parents being unfairly targeted due to their public profiles. Jacobs emphasized that their visibility provided an opportunity for the prosecutors to pursue a high-profile case, even if it means regarding private and personal matters related to the challenges of parenting a teenager as worthy of legal scrutiny.
On the day of their indictment, Small expressed his eagerness for the facts of the case to be presented, mentioning that their daughter continues to reside at home. “The public has only heard one side of the narrative,” he stated, expressing a desire to share their perspective.
The indictment, which occurred on September 17, came shortly after the principal of Atlantic City High School, Constance Days-Chapman, was charged with similar offenses for allegedly failing to report the abuse claims to the state’s child welfare authorities. Days-Chapman is a close associate of the Smalls, with La’Quetta Small being her superior.
Reports indicate that when the girl confided in Days-Chapman about suffering from headaches due to beatings by her parents in December, instead of reporting this to the relevant authorities, Days-Chapman informed the Smalls of the allegations.
Days-Chapman has denied wrongdoing and entered a not guilty plea during a recent court session. Earlier court filings by prosecutors detailed a scenario where the Smalls forbade their daughter from dating a particular boyfriend. That boyfriend allegedly recorded an incident involving Mayor Small physically and verbally assaulting the girl during a video call.
While an affidavit from prosecutors noted that, at one point, the girl admitted to fabricating allegations due to anger over restrictions on her social life, other portions of the document contained specific allegations of abuse. It mentioned the girl had taken photographs of bruises she sustained and sent them to her boyfriend, who then shared the evidence with law enforcement.
The prosecutor’s office pointed to various pieces of evidence, including recordings of interactions between the girl and her parents, her testimonies to law enforcement, school officials, a therapist, and state investigators, as well as messages sent to friends expressing her feeling of unsafety in her home environment.
