Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small and his wife, La’Quetta, were charged with abusing and assaulting their teenage daughter on multiple occasions. The charges filed by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office included endangering the welfare of a child, terroristic threats, aggravated assault, and simple assault. The incidents of abuse allegedly occurred in December 2023 and January 2024, with Marty Small hitting his daughter 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 the superintendent of schools in Atlantic City, was also accused of physically assaulting their daughter. She allegedly punched her daughter in the chest, leaving bruises, and struck her in the mouth during a separate argument. Additionally, La’Quetta Small was accused of dragging her daughter by the hair and hitting her with a belt on her shoulders, leaving marks. The prosecutor’s office detailed the instances of abuse in a news release which led to the charges being filed against both parents of the teenage girl.
Neither Marty nor La’Quetta Small commented on the charges when reached by telephone, with Marty referring a reporter to his lawyer Ed Jacobs. The president and vice president of the Atlantic City Board of Education did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the matter. The Smalls were issued summonses for the charges against them, and the prosecutor’s office has accused them of physically and emotionally abusing their daughter during a two-month period.
In a news conference held earlier in April, Marty Small described the search of his home in late March as a private family issue rather than a crime. He mentioned that they have been engaging with state child welfare authorities and are undergoing family therapy. Small emphasized that the situation should be treated as a family matter and expressed that they have nothing to hide. A spokesperson for the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency stated that they cannot publicly discuss the details of their cases to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.
At the news conference, Small’s wife and two children were present but did not speak, leaving before the conference concluded. The situation involving the Smalls has brought attention to the issue of domestic abuse and child welfare, particularly given their prominent positions in the community. The charges against Marty and La’Quetta Small raise concerns about the impact of such actions on their daughter and highlight the importance of addressing and preventing abuse in families. The legal proceedings in this case will shed further light on the allegations and potentially lead to consequences for the accused parents.
