Former DeKalb County Schools Superintendent Devon Horton now faces a felony aggravated assault charge and two child cruelty counts on top of the federal fraud case that forced his resignation last year.
A DeKalb County Superior Court grand jury indicted Horton on Tuesday, Aug. 4, on one count of aggravated assault and two counts of third-degree cruelty to children, according to Fox 5 Atlanta and Decaturish, citing court documents. The charges stem from a January domestic dispute at Horton's Stone Mountain home.
The indictment alleges Horton applied pressure to his wife Christiane Horton's throat and neck with his hands. The two child cruelty counts allege he committed the assault knowing two minor children were present.
Court records show Horton was granted a $25,000 bond with conditions barring him from contacting his wife. He is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday, Sept. 2, in DeKalb County Superior Court.
A hire that drew protests
The DeKalb County school board voted 6-1 in April 2023 to hire Horton as superintendent of Georgia's third-largest school district, which serves approximately 93,000 students including those at Dunwoody High School and Chamblee Charter High School. The vote followed heated public forums where parents and educators questioned his leadership record, personal bankruptcy filings and a 2021 federal lawsuit from his former Illinois district.
In July 2025, the board extended Horton's contract through 2028 and raised his salary to $360,000 a year.
Three months later, a federal grand jury in Chicago indicted Horton on 17 counts of wire fraud, embezzlement and tax evasion, alleging he steered more than $280,000 in contracts to friends and received more than $80,000 in kickbacks while leading Evanston/Skokie School District 65 in Illinois from 2019 to 2023.
Former board member Dr. Joyce Morley told Fox 5 Atlanta in December 2025 that the board had been warned earlier. "The board already knew. We had an anonymous package sent to us last year, August 2024, that showed about 14 indictments that they were suggesting," Morley said.
The board placed Horton on paid leave on Oct. 9, 2025, naming Chief of Student Services Norman Sauce as acting superintendent. The board accepted Horton's resignation on Oct. 15, 2025.
What's ahead
Horton pleaded not guilty to all 17 federal charges at his Chicago arraignment on Oct. 23, 2025. His federal fraud trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 21, according to Evanston Now.
After his January arrest, attorney Terence Campbell said in a Jan. 18 statement that the domestic incident was "really a personal matter between husband and wife" and that Horton's wife "does not want charges pursued." No fresh statement from Campbell responding to the Tuesday indictment has been published.
The DeKalb County School District said in January that the arrest stemmed from an incident not related to the school district and declined further comment. The district has not issued a new statement regarding the indictment.
Interim Superintendent Dr. Norman C. Sauce III continues to lead the district as the 2026-2027 school year began Monday, Aug. 3. Horton's state arraignment is set for Wednesday, Sept. 2.
