Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small and wife La’Quetta Small charged with abusing teen daughter

Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. and his wife, La’Quetta Small, the superintendent of the city’s school district, are facing serious allegations of “physically and emotionally abusing” their teenage daughter, as confirmed by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office on Monday.

Both Mayor Small and Superintendent Small have been charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child. In addition, Mayor Small faces additional charges, including third-degree terroristic threats, third-degree aggravated assault, and disorderly persons simple assault.

Meanwhile, Superintendent Small faces three separate counts of disorderly persons simple assault. These charges, stemming from incidents between December 2023 and January 2024, paint a troubling picture of alleged mistreatment within the family.

According to investigators, Mayor Small is accused of striking his daughter multiple times in the head with a broom, causing her to lose consciousness.

In another disturbing incident, Mayor Small allegedly made menacing threats towards his daughter during an argument, including threats of physical harm such as slamming her down the stairs and assaulting her.

Furthermore, Mayor Small is accused of repeatedly punching his daughter in the legs, resulting in bruising.

Meanwhile, Superintendent Small allegedly inflicted physical harm on her daughter by punching her multiple times in the chest, dragging her by her hair, striking her with a belt on her shoulder, and punching her in the mouth during an argument.

Both Mayor and Superintendent Small were issued summonses regarding the charges against them.

When approached for comment, Mayor Small directed inquiries to his attorney, Ed Jacobs, who emphasized that the charges pertain solely to family matters and do not involve public corruption or Mayor Small’s official duties.

In a statement released on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, Jacobs reiterated the innocence of Mayor and Superintendent Small, stating that they remain a loving family and will ultimately be vindicated of any wrongdoing.

In the wake of these allegations, calls for resignation have emerged from some residents of Atlantic City, who believe that Mayor and Superintendent Small should step down from their positions.

These charges come in the wake of a previous incident where Mayor Small addressed a search warrant served at his home, characterizing it as a private family issue. He emphasized that he and his wife are cooperating with child welfare authorities and undergoing family therapy.

The mayor and his wife are scheduled to appear in Atlantic County Court on May 15 to address the charges brought against them.