ATLANTIC CITY – The town’s mayor stated a police raid at his residence was an inappropriate response to a “household matter,” but additionally indicated a possible hyperlink to a prison case involving a metropolis educator and shut buddy.
At a information convention Monday, Mayor Marty Small Sr. defended Constance “Mandy” Days-Chapman, the principal of Atlantic Metropolis Excessive Faculty and his former marketing campaign supervisor.
She was charged with official misconduct and different offenses on March 28, the identical day because the raid on the residence of the mayor and his spouse, Faculty Superintendent La’Quetta Small.
Days-Chapman allegedly failed to inform authorities {that a} scholar had claimed bodily and psychological abuse at residence, based on the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Workplace.
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The principal as an alternative advised the scholars’ mother and father concerning the abuse declare.
Small declined to say if his daughter, who attends Atlantic Metropolis Excessive, was the coed who’d alleged abuse.
However he described Days-Chapman as “a pricey private buddy who is commonly with our household,” and repeatedly famous the difficulties of elevating a teen.
Mayor Marty Small acknowledges investigation
“We help you, Mandy,” the mayor stated of Days-Chapman, who can be chair of the Atlantic Metropolis Democratic Committee. “You probably did completely nothing incorrect.”
An investigation involving the mayor and his spouse has been ongoing for 3 or 4 months, stated Edwin Jacobs, the mayor’s legal professional.
“This complete investigation arose from nothing greater than a private and emotional household matter inside the Small family,” stated Jacobs.
The legal professional stated he didn’t know the main target of the probe, however asserted it had nothing to do with Small’s job.
“There have been no thefts, no extortions, no payoffs, no acts of dishonesty, akin to could have sadly tainted some prior administrations right here in Atlantic Metropolis and elsewhere,” Jacobs stated.
The Smalls’ daughter and their son, an eighth grade scholar, stood impassively by their mother and father’ aspect on the information convention, together with whereas the mayor angrily repeated and rejected graphic rumors about his daughter.
Small famous he holds a grasp’s diploma and his spouse has a doctorate.
However he stated, “there’s no e book and no course that we took in school to indicate you methods to be a guardian, and extra importantly methods to cope with the struggles of elevating youngsters.”
Atlantic Metropolis mayor criticizes search
He stated the search celebration, which closed the road outdoors the Smalls’ residence, consisted of 20 regulation enforcement officers with “weapons, rifles, battering rams and extra.”
“We didn’t deserve that,” the mayor stated.
Small stated investigators seized two cellphones and a number of other laptops through the search.
A prison grievance says state regulation and Atlantic Metropolis faculty district coverage required Days/Chapman to report abuse allegations to “the suitable baby welfare authorities and/or regulation enforcement authorities.”
It alleges she went to the coed’s mother and father to assist hinder their detection and investigation for baby abuse. Days-Chapman can be charged with obstruction of justice and failure to report baby abuse.
The fees are solely allegations. Days-Chapman has not been convicted within the case.
In line with the prosecutor’s workplace, a scholar on Jan. 22 advised an Atlantic Metropolis Excessive worker that they’d been abused by the coed’s mother and father, and that the minor had beforehand disclosed the abuse to Days-Chapman.
In a dialog with the staffer later that day, Days-Chapman denied that the teen had beforehand advised her concerning the abuse, the prosecutor’s workplace alleged.
It stated Days-Chapman additionally advised the staffer she would report the abuse claims to the state Division of Little one Safety and Permanency.
“Each the staffer and one other eyewitness to the dialog believed that Days-Chapman was going to inform the authorities as they had been leaving her workplace,” the assertion stated.
“The opposite eyewitness even advised Days-Chapman that she (the eyewitness) would notify DCP&P, however that Days-Chapman insisted that she would make the notification,” it continued.
Days-Chapman met with the juvenile’s mother and father “that night time and advised them of the youth’s abuse claims,” the assertion added.
DCP&P stated it was not advised of the youth’s allegations by Days-Chapman or some other faculty worker, based on the prosecutor’s workplace.
In a press release, the prosecutor’s workplace stated officers “concerned within the search carried out themselves within the highest skilled method.”
It stated the officers adopted “requirements working procedures and protocols” and handled the mayor and superintendent “with dignity and respect.”
It additionally asserted detectives “took nice effort to make sure that any juveniles residing on the residence had been away from the residence … through the execution of the search warrant.
Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Put up, Burlington County Instances and The Each day Journal. E mail: [email protected].