Ed Jacobs, the attorney for Mayor Marty Small Sr., released a statement on Tuesday morning stating that despite recent allegations of endangering children, Small Sr. will stay mayor and his family is loving and intact.
"Mayor Small and Superintendent La'Quetta Small will ultimately be vindicated; they are completely innocent of any wrongdoing," Jacobs said. "As these complaints were filed in response to summonses, no arrests or bond decisions were made. Mayor Marty Small will continue to diligently carry out his responsibilities as mayor of the City of Atlantic City.
President of the Atlantic City Board of Education Shay Steele said that the board would talk about the situation at its regular meeting on April 23 at 6 p.m., but he declined to comment on La'Quetta Small's job status.
Earning $210,000 annually, La'Quetta Small took over as superintendent in October 2021.
Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Small was present for the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority meeting. He is on the state agency's board of directors. Small refused to comment on the claims after the CRDA meeting.
Mayor Small posted on social media for the first time on Monday night, after his and his wife's accusations that they had abused their teenage daughter, putting a child's safety at risk.
Charges against Mayor Small, 50, on Monday included making threats against terrorists, aggravated assault, and simple assault with a dangerous weapon. The Prosecutor's Office reports that La'Quetta Small, 47, was charged with three counts of disorderly individuals simple assault.
The investigation and charges, according to Jacobs, are "a misguided attempt to micro manage very private and personal family matters including challenges facing parents attempting to properly raise a teenage child." The charges also demonstrated that there is no allegation of public corruption or misconduct in office.
Authorities claim that in December and January, the Smalls mistreated their teenage daughter both physically and mentally.
Mayor Small reportedly repeatedly struck his daughter in the head with a broom during one episode, forcing her to pass out. According to a press release from the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, Mayor Small also threatened to "earth slam" her down the stairs, grab her head and hurl her on the ground, and "smack the weave out of her head" in another incident. Mayor Small reportedly repeatedly struck his daughter in the legs, injuring them, in a different incident.
Three days after the reported broom incident, Small's daughter reportedly went to the hospital to get treatment for a head injury, according a court record. She informed the nurse that she had struck her head on a window and gone unconscious, and Mayor Small, who had been there, believed her account.
Authorities also claim La'Quetta Small repeatedly slapped her daughter in the chest, causing bruises; she also pulled her daughter by her hair and struck her with a belt on her shoulders, causing bruises; and during a fight, she punched her daughter in the mouth.
There are many recordings of an event that happened on January 3rd between Marty Small and his daughter when she was using a video chat service to communicate to her boyfriend.
The transcript claims that the girl murmurs to her boyfriend, "I am scared." The mayor addresses the girl by name and pleads, "Do not let me hurt you." "Hurt me, that is all you do," she responds.
His daughter requests him to stop pushing her and the mayor instructs her to sit down.
He swears, threatening to toss her down a flight of stairs, "I am going to hurt you." Inform them. It does not concern me. How are they going to treat me? I will give you a hard hit to the head. I will not experience any negative outcomes!
The transcript also mentions an incident that happened on January 7 between the child and her mother, which her grandmother saw. In that video, the adolescent screams at her mother to stop striking her and get off of her.
The grandma remarks, "A little punch in the eye is not going to stop her."
The child sent texts to friends stating she did not feel secure at home and that her bags were packed, and she asked to stay with them, according to the affidavit. She stated, "I have experienced a lot of verbal, physical, emotional, and mental abuse." "Every night I cry more and more because I am overwhelmed."
According to the affidavit of probable cause, the Smalls' daughter disclosed to them in January that she was experiencing emotional and physical abuse and that she wanted to talk to a counselor during a mental health exercise at Atlantic City High School. This led to the opening of an inquiry into the family.
According to the affidavit, La'Quetta Small and Mayor Small were having problems at home with their daughter when she began dating someone they did not approve of. This was after Small's daughter had a meeting with a therapist.
The bulk of the instances were captured on iPhones and an iPad, according to the affidavit. Small's daughter texted her boyfriend photos of her injuries, which he showed authorities over the course of the investigation. The pair must appear in court on May 15 at 10 a.m.
"Mayor Small and Superintendent La'Quetta Small will ultimately be vindicated; they are completely innocent of any wrongdoing," Jacobs said. "As these complaints were filed in response to summonses, no arrests or bond decisions were made. Mayor Marty Small will continue to diligently carry out his responsibilities as mayor of the City of Atlantic City.
President of the Atlantic City Board of Education Shay Steele said that the board would talk about the situation at its regular meeting on April 23 at 6 p.m., but he declined to comment on La'Quetta Small's job status.
Earning $210,000 annually, La'Quetta Small took over as superintendent in October 2021.
Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Small was present for the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority meeting. He is on the state agency's board of directors. Small refused to comment on the claims after the CRDA meeting.
Mayor Small posted on social media for the first time on Monday night, after his and his wife's accusations that they had abused their teenage daughter, putting a child's safety at risk.
Charges against Mayor Small, 50, on Monday included making threats against terrorists, aggravated assault, and simple assault with a dangerous weapon. The Prosecutor's Office reports that La'Quetta Small, 47, was charged with three counts of disorderly individuals simple assault.
The investigation and charges, according to Jacobs, are "a misguided attempt to micro manage very private and personal family matters including challenges facing parents attempting to properly raise a teenage child." The charges also demonstrated that there is no allegation of public corruption or misconduct in office.
Authorities claim that in December and January, the Smalls mistreated their teenage daughter both physically and mentally.
Mayor Small reportedly repeatedly struck his daughter in the head with a broom during one episode, forcing her to pass out. According to a press release from the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, Mayor Small also threatened to "earth slam" her down the stairs, grab her head and hurl her on the ground, and "smack the weave out of her head" in another incident. Mayor Small reportedly repeatedly struck his daughter in the legs, injuring them, in a different incident.
Three days after the reported broom incident, Small's daughter reportedly went to the hospital to get treatment for a head injury, according a court record. She informed the nurse that she had struck her head on a window and gone unconscious, and Mayor Small, who had been there, believed her account.
Authorities also claim La'Quetta Small repeatedly slapped her daughter in the chest, causing bruises; she also pulled her daughter by her hair and struck her with a belt on her shoulders, causing bruises; and during a fight, she punched her daughter in the mouth.
There are many recordings of an event that happened on January 3rd between Marty Small and his daughter when she was using a video chat service to communicate to her boyfriend.
The transcript claims that the girl murmurs to her boyfriend, "I am scared." The mayor addresses the girl by name and pleads, "Do not let me hurt you." "Hurt me, that is all you do," she responds.
His daughter requests him to stop pushing her and the mayor instructs her to sit down.
He swears, threatening to toss her down a flight of stairs, "I am going to hurt you." Inform them. It does not concern me. How are they going to treat me? I will give you a hard hit to the head. I will not experience any negative outcomes!
The transcript also mentions an incident that happened on January 7 between the child and her mother, which her grandmother saw. In that video, the adolescent screams at her mother to stop striking her and get off of her.
The grandma remarks, "A little punch in the eye is not going to stop her."
The child sent texts to friends stating she did not feel secure at home and that her bags were packed, and she asked to stay with them, according to the affidavit. She stated, "I have experienced a lot of verbal, physical, emotional, and mental abuse." "Every night I cry more and more because I am overwhelmed."
According to the affidavit of probable cause, the Smalls' daughter disclosed to them in January that she was experiencing emotional and physical abuse and that she wanted to talk to a counselor during a mental health exercise at Atlantic City High School. This led to the opening of an inquiry into the family.
According to the affidavit, La'Quetta Small and Mayor Small were having problems at home with their daughter when she began dating someone they did not approve of. This was after Small's daughter had a meeting with a therapist.
The bulk of the instances were captured on iPhones and an iPad, according to the affidavit. Small's daughter texted her boyfriend photos of her injuries, which he showed authorities over the course of the investigation. The pair must appear in court on May 15 at 10 a.m.
