Democrat Atlantic City mayor Mayor Marty Small Sr. and his wife, La’Quetta Small have been charged with physically harming their daughter on “multiple occasions” last winter, according to a new report from Philly Voice.
The pair are facing charges of child endangerment, assault and terroristic threats, the report says.
Attorneys for the mayor and his wife call the charges “headline-grabbing” due to his “high profile status”, though to be fair, prior to this report…we’d never heard of him.
Attorney Ed Jacobs said: “We are confident that fair-minded jurors will quickly see that parenting struggles are not criminal events, and will agree on the innocence of both Marty and La’Quetta.”
Atlantic County prosecutors accused Small of beating his 16-year-old daughter with a broomstick, slamming her down stairs, and punching her during family disputes in December and January. His wife is accused of punching their daughter, dragging her by the hair, hitting her with a belt, and striking her face.
The incidents allegedly arose from conflicts over the girl’s boyfriend, who provided prosecutors with photos, videos, and evidence of the abuse and resulting bruises.
Gov. Phil Murphy said through a spokesperson that Small should “consider whether he can continue effectively serving the people of Atlantic City as Mayor.”
The Philly Voice report says that after prosecutors searched the Smalls’ home in March, Mayor Marty Small held a press conference – of course suggesting the investigation might have “political and racial motivations”.
Constance Days-Chapman, Small’s former campaign manager and principal of Atlantic City High School, is charged with failing to report child abuse and obstructing justice.
She allegedly did not notify child protection authorities after the Smalls’ daughter disclosed the abuse to her. Days-Chapman pleaded not guilty at her arraignment last week.
