Atlantic City School Board Members Are Riddled With Conflicts

On Thursday, May 16, 2024, (6:00 p.m.), at a Special Meeting … The Atlantic City Board of Education will vote whether or not to suspend La’Quetta Small as Superintendent of Public Schools.

This issue should not even be in doubt, and, a suspension should have occurred about a month ago.

The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office has filed serious child abuse criminal charges against La’Quetta Small, including:

LA'QUETTA SMALL is criminally charged with:

2nd degree endangering the welfare of a child.
3 separate counts of disorderly persons simple assault.

ATLANTIC CITY MAYOR MARTY SMALL is criminally charged with:

2nd degree endangering the welfare of a child.
3rd degree aggravated assault
3rd degree terroristic threats
disorderly persons simple assault.

ATLANTIC CITY HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, CONSTANCE DAYS-CHAPMAN is criminally charged with:

second-degree Official Misconduct.
third-degree Hindering Apprehension of
Another.
fourth-degree Obstruction of Justice.
disorderly persons Failure to Report Child Abuse.

Days-Chapman was promptly suspended following being criminally charged.

La’Quetta Small has not as yet been suspended, despite being criminally charged about a month ago.

The Atlantic City Board of Education is riddled with members who have conflicts of interests. It’s a real problem.

It’s so bad, that the Board of Education held a special meeting last night to invoke “The Doctrine of Necessity.”

This maneuver permits board members who would otherwise be conflicted from casting a vote … approval to do so.

Many board of education members, like board president Shay Steele have city jobs themselves, along with immediate family members who work for the City of Atlantic City or the Atlantic City Board of Education.

Shay Steele is an employee of the Atlantic City Fire Department and he has multiple other family members who hold city jobs.

Steele is not alone, as other school board members having similar conflicts of interest.

This is why many people are concerned about these board members delaying the decision on suspending La’Quetta Small.

Many also believe that Marty and La’Quetta Small wield supreme power over the board of education members, who have jobs with the city and school board.

Because of this reality … there is a lot of buzz around Atlantic City that the Board of Education might not suspend La’Quetta Small.

That would actually create a crisis… requiring that the state of New Jersey would have to step in and take appropriate and prompt action.

Here are the nine (9) members of the Atlantic City Board of Education.