Key Points:
• Former DeKalb schools superintendent Devon Q. Horton booked on child cruelty charges, since his children were present during the alleged dispute.
• Horton was arrested over the weekend, and released on Jan. 19.
• Horton was indicted on 17 wire fraud and embezzlement charges in October.
DeKalb County police officials have revealed that a former DeKalb County School District superintendent was jailed over the weekend after an alleged physical altercation with his wife while his children were present.
Devon Q. Horton was booked at the DeKalb County Jail on Jan. 17 on child cruelty and strangulation charges, according to jail records. Police were called to a home at the 1800 block of Chedworth Lane in Stone Mountain that afternoon, DeKalb County Police Department Spokeswoman Elise Wells told Rough Draft Atlanta
“Officers determined that a verbal dispute between Mr. Devon Horton and his wife turned physical,” Wells said. “Horton was arrested for aggravated assault and cruelty to children in the third degree as children were present at the time of the assault.”
Horton was booked around 1:38 p.m., and he was released shortly after 5 p.m. Jan. 19, according to jail records.
The former superintendent has been mired in controversy over the last several months. On Oct. 9, the U.S. Attorney issued an indictment for the Stone Mountain husband and father that entailed 17 charges for acts he allegedly committed while serving as the superintendent of Evanston-Skokie School District 65 in Illinois.
Between 2021 and 2023, the lengthy indictment alleges that Horton accepted and approved contracts with business partners that he would financially benefit from, to the tune of more than $85,000 in kickbacks. Horton and his co-defendants are to appear in an Illinois court on Feb. 4.
Horton resigned after the indictment announcement, and DeKalb County Board of Education has begun the procurement process for an independent financial audit of Horton’s purchases and financial documents while serving as superintendent.
Related Stories:
• DeKalb parents seek to repair ‘systemic failure’ after superintendent’s resignation
• U.S. Attorney issues 17-count indictment alleging DeKalb Superintendent committed fraudulent acts in former job
Parents expressed concern about the overall leadership at the board and executive level after Horton’s charges were announced in October.
“There’s a systemic failure in the governance and accountability of that board. This change in leadership is going to be necessary to restore trust to the public,” Jeannette Fusia, whose daughter attends Smoke Rise Elementary.
Horton’s children previously attended Smoke Rise Elementary. The DeKalb County School District issued a statement regarding the arrest on Saturday.
“[The district] is aware of the reported arrest of former superintendent Dr. Devon Horton, which stems from an alleged incident not related to the school district,” Jennifer Caracciolo, DCSD spokeswoman said in a statement. “As this is an active legal matter with law enforcement, the district has no further information to share and will not be making additional statements. The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priority.”
This story is developing. Check back for updates.