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DEKALB COUNTY, GA—DeKalb County School District Superintendent Devon Horton was placed on paid administrative leave on Thursday, Oct. 9, after he was indicted on federal corruption charges in Illinois.
A federal grand jury indicted Horton and three associates–Antonio Ross, Samuel Ross and Alfonzo Lewison–on 17 counts including fraud, theft, and tax evasion. The indictment alleges Horton steered contracts to the three men, approved invoices for services that were not performed and received kickbacks while serving as superintendent of the Evanston-Skokie School District 65 in Illinois.
Prosecutors allege District 65 made fraudulent wire payments and checks to the three companies that were set up by the men as part of the scheme. Horton received kickbacks from those payments, according to the indictment. Additionally, Horton’s own company, Altering Education Xpectation LLC received about $10,000 through Chicago Public Schools under false representation, prosecutors allege.
Horton’s duties as superintendent of District 65 included management and supervision of the day-to-day operations of the district, review and approval of proposals from vendor companies, approval of invoices for vendor services and execution of the district’s contracts with vendor companies.
Chicago attorney Terence Campbell is representing Horton.
The DeKalb County School Board held an emergency meeting on Thursday and voted to place Horton on paid administrative leave. The board appointed Norman C. Sauce III, chief of Student Services, as interim superintendent.
Horton was hired as superintendent of the DeKalb County School District in 2023 at a base salary of $325,000. Although his contract was extended with no raise in 2024, he received a $35,000 retention bonus in December of that year. He had recently received a $35,00o raise in 2025, increasing his salary to $360,000. Horton previously served as District 65 superintendent in Illinois beginning in 2020.
The DeKalb County School District shared the following e-mail with parents and staff members of the school district regarding Horton’s placement on leave:
Dear Families and Staff,
The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) has been made aware of the federal indictment filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois involving Dr. Devon Horton related to his prior employment.
Effective immediately, Dr. Horton has been placed on paid administrative leave. The Board of Education has appointed Dr. Norman C. Sauce III, Chief of Student Services, to serve as Acting Superintendent.
“While we cannot comment on confidential personnel matters, we are concerned by these allegations,” shared Chairperson Deirdre Pierce. “Our top priority remains the well-being of our students, staff, and the entire DCSD community. DCSD operations and services will continue as normal, with our dedicated leadership team and staff remaining focused on providing a safe, supportive, and high-quality educational experience for every student.”