Atlantic City, NJ Candidate ‘Without Conflict of Interest’ to Run

The Atlantic City, New Jersey Board of Education is riddled with conflicts of interests.

A majority of the 9-member Atlantic City Board of Education has immediate family members who have full-time jobs within the Atlantic City Public Schools system.

It’s disgraceful.

It’s so bad that a majority of the Atlantic City Board of Education can’t even vote on the annual budget, or, whether to suspend the superintendent, who is currently charged with multiple serious child abuse crimes.

La’Quetta Small is criminally charged with:

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

Here are the disturbing accusations about La’Quetta Small as follows:

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.

La’Quetta Smalls’ husband, 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.

About Marty Small, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office said:

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.

These are monstrous allegations against Marty and La’Quetta Small.

We have confirmed that Ron Bailey, who previously ran for Atlantic City Council will be running for the Atlantic City Board of Education.

It is my pleasure to announce my candidacy for the upcoming 2024 Atlantic City School Election in November. I am a lifelong resident of Atlantic City and look forward to serving our educational community. I am running for the seat on school board because I am a candidate that is no bound by conflicts of interest like many of the sitting board members and my interest are that of elected officials who look to control and direct the decision making abilities of the board, I will work diligently to ensure our youth are provided with a candidate who is willing to fight for not only their education, but someone who is willing to stand up to those who choose to look the other way when the safety of our children is at risk. If elected I will immediately request that a committee be assembled from both members of the community and our schools to ensure that our youth have a safety net in place to report issues occurring in our schools without fear of retaliation, or fear that nothing will be done. I look forward to serving the school community as well as our sending districts, and commit to reestablish seats on the board for each sending district to be represented at the table, said Bailey.

Here are just some of the countless conflicts of interest that members of the Atlantic City Board of Education members have.