Shame On Clergy & Others Who Rallied For Atlantic City Mayor

OPINION - EDITORIAL

I am a staunch believer and proponent of the presumption of innocence. It’s the bedrock of the American judicial system.

However, I found it disgusting and reprehensible that various clergy, Atlantic City Council Vice President Kaleem Shabazz and others staged a preemptive rally to support Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, Atlantic City Superintendent of Public Schools La’Quetta Small and Atlantic City High School Principal Constance Days-Chapman.

These prominent figures all blindly supported this threesome, despite the fact that the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office had not yet publicly revealed the serious allegations and criminal charges that were pending against Marty and La’Quetta Small.

In advance of the support rally …

A social media post by Shermaine Gunter-Gary said “It is time we come together and say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!"

They circulated a flyer around Atlantic City, New Jersey and the internet.

It read:

JOIN US!

for a rally in support of

Mayor Marty Small
Superintendent, Dr. Laquetta Small
Principal, Constance Days-Chapman

Tuesday, April 9, 2024, 5:00 p.m. at the Civil Rights Garden, Pacific Avenue & S. Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd., Atlantic City, NJ 08401.

The flyer includes a long list of prominent figures who were scheduled to attend as follows:

Rev. Steffie Bartley, National Action Network,
Regional Director.
Leroy Jones, State Chairman, New Jersey State Democratic Committee.
Kaleem Shabazz, NAACP of Atlantic City, President.
Pastor Amir Khan, Nehemiah Group.
Imam Amin Muhammad, Masjid Muhammad,
Atlantic City.
Bishop R. Fulton Hargrove, II, Fellowship of Churches of Atlantic City and Vicinity.
Pastor Jerry Smith, Transcend Worship Center.
Rev. Derrick L. Green, Interfaith Action Movement.

Steve Young, who is the President of the National Action Network of South Jersey did not support The Small's and Days-Chapman.

Young actually led a dueling rally in support of abused children in Atlantic City.

The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office has previously confirmed that Days-Chapman has been 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.

The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office has also criminally charged Marty and La’Quetta Small.

Small now becomes the 5th Atlantic City Mayor to be criminally charged over the past 42 years.

MARTY SMALL

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

LA'QUETTA SMALL

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

It’s important to share what the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office is alleging that Marty and La’Quetta Small did:

Regarding Marty Small:

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.

Regarding 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.

Is the previous list of clergy, Shabazz, etc. proud of their support rally now?

Will these same individuals consider staging an actual support rally to help protect the abused children of Atlantic City?

SOURCE: Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office.