Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. and his wife, La'Quetta, the city's superintendent of schools, have been indicted on child endangerment and other charges for allegedly beating their teenage daughter on numerous occasions, prosecutors said Wednesday.
The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said the indictment was made Tuesday by a grand jury that accused the couple of child endangerment. Marty Small also was charged with assault and making terroristic threats.
Prosecutors said both parents hit and emotionally abused the girl, who was 15 to 16 years old, on multiple occasions in December and January.
"This indictment has absolutely nothing to do with Marty Small's tenure as mayor of Atlantic City," said his lawyer, Ed Jacobs. "There's no charge of corruption or any official misconduct. Marty and La'Quetta Small don't need the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office meddling into a private family matter."
"Marty and La'Quetta are a good mom and dad raising a teenage child," he said. "They are totally innocent and will be totally exonerated."
