By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Atlantic County announced that on Thursday, March 28, Constance Days-Chapman, the principal of the Atlantic City High School in Atlantic City, was charged with second-degree Official Misconduct, third-degree Hindering Apprehension of Another, fourth-degree Obstruction of Justice, and disorderly person Failure to Report Child Abuse.
The charges were placed on a summons, officials stated.
Officials said on January 22, 2024, a juvenile student at the high school informed a school staff member that the student had been emotionally and physically abused by the student’s parents and that the student had previously disclosed this abuse to Mrs. Days-Chapman.
The school staff member discussed the matter with Days-Chapman later that same day, according to officials.
Officials say Days-Chapman denied that the student ever disclosed the abuse to her previously but told the school staffer that she would report the matter to the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P, formerly known as DYFS).
Both the staffer and another eyewitness to the conversation believed that Days-Chapman was going to notify the authorities as they were leaving her office, authorities say.
According to officials, the other eyewitness even told Days-Chapman that she (the eyewitness) would notify DCP&P, but Days-Chapman insisted that she would make the notification.
Later that evening, officials say, Days-Chapman met with the juvenile’s parents at the parents’ house and informed them that the juvenile disclosed to school staff that the juvenile was being abused by them.
Authorities say DCP&P confirmed that there was no disclosure reported to them regarding the abuse of the juvenile from Days-Chapman or any other member of the staff from Atlantic City High School.