NAACP calls for Atlantic County prosecutor’s resignation after Atlantic City mayor acquitted of child abuse charges

From Camden and Cherry Hill to Trenton and the Jersey Shore, what about life in New Jersey do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know.

The NAACP New Jersey State Conference is calling for the resignation of Atlantic County Prosecutor William Reynolds over the prosecution of Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr., who was acquitted of child endangerment charges.

In a statement released Wednesday, Richard T. Smith, president of the state conference, said the mayor, his wife La’Quetta Small and Constance Days-Chapman “have been subjected to prolonged public scrutiny, ridicule, and reputational harm stemming from prosecutorial actions that, in our view, warrant serious examination.”

“Based on publicly available information and observable outcomes, these actions raise substantial concerns regarding prosecutorial overreach and the appearance of political motivation, rather than decisions grounded solely in evidence and law,” Smith said. “The resulting harm to professional standing, personal lives, and community stability is significant.”

The state conference joined the call for Reynolds’ resignation along with the Atlantic City branch of the NAACP, led by Atlantic City Council Vice President Kaleem Shabazz.

Marty Small was acquitted by a jury in December of charges that he abused his teenage daughter in incidents that took place in late 2023 and early 2024. He was also found not guilty of witness tampering.

Prosecutors dropped charges in January against La’Quetta Small, Atlantic City Schools superintendent, and Days-Chapman, the principal of Atlantic City High School. Authorities had also accused La’Quetta Small of abusing her daughter and alleged that Days-Chapman, a political ally of the mayor, failed to report the suspected abuse.

The NAACP also took issue with Reynolds asking Atlantic County Commissioner Collins Days Sr. to “indefinitely recuse himself from voting on matters involving the Prosecutor’s Office.”

“Any attempt by a prosecutor—especially through written communication—to influence, restrict, or discourage an elected official from exercising the full scope of his lawful duties raises serious constitutional and democratic concerns,” Smith said, adding that Days is the father of Days-Chapman and is “the duly elected representative” on the county Board of Commissioners.

Reynolds, who was appointed by former Gov. Phil Murphy in 2022, rejected accusations of silencing Days. In a statement, he said his office “raised a potential conflict of interest based solely on the charging and indictment of the Commissioner’s daughter.”

“That precautionary step of raising the conflict had nothing to do with politics or race, but rather reflected this Office’s obligation,” he said.

Small has long held that the charges against him were politically and racially motivated. But Reynolds said that his office filed a pretrial motion, which was granted, after Small, through his attorney, “conceded that the defense had no credible evidence asserting that the prosecution was politically or racially motivated.”

Reynolds defended the investigation and the charges filed against the Smalls and Days-Chapman.

“This office received a referral from a state agency, the Division of Child Protection and Permanency, which we are required and obligated under the law to investigate,” he said. “We proceeded with the investigation based upon the victim’s statements, audio recordings, contemporaneous statements by the victim and defendants, photographs, and expert opinions of child abuse.”