DeKalb schools superintendent pleads not guilty to federal charges
DeKalb County Superintendent Devon Horton pleaded not guilty Thursday to multiple charges related to an alleged kickback scheme in his old job, news outlets in Illinois reported.
Horton appeared in court in Chicago on Thursday for the first time since the federal indictment was filed on Oct. 8. The DeKalb County Board of Education immediately put Horton on paid administrative leave when the indictment was filed, and voted last week to accept his resignation. It takes effect Nov. 15.
He and two other co-defendants were not required to pay bail and were granted what the federal judge called an “extremely good behavior release,” Evanston Now reported. All three were given orders not to contact over a dozen individuals who were potential victims or witnesses to the alleged crimes. Horton’s list included 17 names, the Evanston Roundtable reported.
At the time of publication, online court records had not been updated to reflect what happened at the arraignment.
The indictment accuses Horton of steering district contracts in the Evanston-Skokie School District 65 outside of Chicago to his longtime friends, then getting about $85,000 in kickbacks from the contracts between 2020 and 2023. Horton was the district’s superintendent during that time period. He was also accused of misusing his district-issued purchasing card and tax evasion.
Horton was hired by DeKalb County in 2023.
In an emailed statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Thursday afternoon, Horton’s attorney Terence Campbell defended Horton’s work.
“The truth is his leadership bettered the school system for the children and families of Evanston, just as he did in DeKalb County,” Campbell said. “Dr. Horton is eager to address his case in court and is glad that process has now begun.”
He’s facing 17 counts of wire fraud, tax evasion and embezzlement. If convicted, he could face jail time and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
Horton is one of four defendants charged in the Illinois case. Two of the co-defendants, Samuel Ross and Alfonzo Lewis, also pleaded not guilty Thursday. The fourth co-defendant, Antonio Ross, will be arraigned next week.
Horton’s next scheduled court date is Dec. 4.
The DeKalb County Board of Education immediately put Horton on paid administrative leave when the indictment was filed, and later voted to accept his resignation. Norman Sauce III is the acting superintendent in DeKalb County.
About the Author
Cassidy Alexander covers Georgia education issues for the AJC. She previously covered education for The Daytona Beach News-Journal, and was named Florida's Outstanding New Journalist of the Year.
