Gov. Murphy: Atlantic City, NJ Board of Education Failed to Act

AN OPEN LETTER TO MY FRIEND, NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR PHIL MURPHY

Dear Governor Murphy:

As you know, Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small … Atlantic City Superintendent of Public Schools, La’Quetta Small and Atlantic City High School Principal, Constance Days-Chapman have all been charged with serious child abuse crimes.

The criminal charges are monstrous, including:

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.

LA'QUETTA SMALL is criminally charged with:

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

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.

However, the Atlantic City Board of Education has taken no corrective action whatsoever versus La’Quetta Small.

La’Quetta Small is being protected by powerful allies, who are willing to engage in this unseemly public conduct.

This is what the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office has said about La’Quetta Small:

It is alleged that La'Quetta Small, during one incident, punched her daughter multiple times on her chest leaving bruising. Another incident alleged that La Quetta Small dragged her daughter by her hair then struck her with a belt on her shoulders leaving marks. Another incident alleged that La'Quetta Small punched her daughter in the mouth during an argument, said the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office.

Here’s what the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office has said that Marty Small did:

It is alleged that during the months of December 2023 and January 2024, the defendants physically and emotionally abused their 15/16-year-old-daughter on multiple occasions. During one incident, Marty Small, Sr. is alleged to have hit his daughter multiple times in the head with a broom causing her to lose consciousness. Another incident alleged that Marty Small, Sr., during an argument with his daughter, continuously threatened to hurt her by "earth slamming" her down the stairs, grabbing her head and throwing her to the ground, and smacking the weave out of her head. Another incident involved Marty Small, Sr. punching his daughter repeatedly in her legs causing bruising, said the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office.

The Atlantic City Board of Education met last evening. They didn’t mention, nor address the La’Quetta Small criminal charges.

The Atlantic City Board of education has allowed La’Quetta Small to continue to work like nothing has happened.

I’m not the least bit surprised that the Atlantic City Board of Education is covering for and helping La’Quetta Small.

Shay Steele, the school board president has multiple immediate family members who have great jobs with the City of Atlantic City and Board of Education.

Steele is conflicted in multiple ways.

I am surprised that the state of New Jersey … Commissioner of  Education … Acting Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs … Atlantic County Superintendent and the Atlantic City Public Schools State Monitor have all failed to do their job.

Why?

A superintendent of public schools cannot be allowed to continue as an active employee, while facing serious child abuse charges of this nature.

It is clear that the Atlantic City Board of Education has purposely failed to act.

The state of New Jersey must step-up and do the job for them.

Should this situation not be properly addressed, who will ever come forward again to report alleged child abuse … when the top school official does not face appropriate action, when she is criminally charged with multiple child abuse crimes?

Thank you Governor Murphy for taking time to read my concerns.