Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small and his wife, La’Quetta Small, were charged on Monday with multiple counts related to the abuse and assault of their teenage daughter, as announced by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office.
The charges filed against both parents include endangering the welfare of a child. Marty Small faces additional charges of making terroristic threats, aggravated assault, and simple assault, while La’Quetta Small faces three separate counts of simple assault.
According to the prosecutor’s office, the alleged incidents of physical and emotional abuse against their 15/16-year-old daughter occurred in December 2023 and January 2024. Marty Small is accused of hitting his daughter multiple times in the head with a broom, causing her to lose consciousness, as well as punching her legs multiple times, leaving bruises, and making threatening remarks.
La’Quetta Small, who serves as Atlantic City’s superintendent of schools, is accused of punching her daughter in the chest multiple times, resulting in bruises, as well as punching her in the mouth during a separate altercation. Additionally, she is alleged to have dragged her daughter by the hair and struck her with a belt on her shoulders, leaving marks.
When contacted for comment, Marty Small declined and referred to his lawyer, Ed Jacobs, who emphasized that the charges do not pertain to public corruption or any misconduct in the mayor’s official duties. Jacobs characterized the matter as a private family issue, noting the challenges of raising a teenage daughter.
Jacobs declined to address the specifics of the charges but stated that the daughter remains in the family home, emphasizing that it is an intact family situation.
The Atlantic City Board of Education’s president and vice president did not respond immediately to requests for comment.Both Marty and La’Quetta Small were issued summonses with the charges against them.
Earlier this month, Marty Small held a news conference at City Hall to address a search of his home, stating that it involved a private family issue rather than a criminal matter. He indicated that the family was undergoing therapy and stressed that it should be handled as a family matter.
The state Division of Child Protection and Permanency declined to comment on the case, citing privacy concerns.At the news conference, Marty Small was accompanied by his wife and children, who did not speak and left before its conclusion.
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