Inset: Marc S. Horowitz (Broward County Sheriff's Office). Background: The area in Florida where Horowitz allegedly assaulted his wife (Google Maps).
A 53-year-old elementary school assistant principal in Florida is accused of assaulting his wife, allegedly snatching her cellphone during a drunken argument, then later pushing her to the floor because she could not find a television remote control.
Marc Scott Horowitz was taken into custody over the weekend and charged with one count of robbery by sudden snatching without a firearm or weapon and one count of domestic violence battery, court records show.
Deputies with the Broward County Sheriff's Office responded at 11:58 p.m. Friday regarding a "disturbance" at the couple's home near the 16000 block of Southwest Fifth Way in Weston, Florida, a sheriff's spokesperson told Law&Crime.
"On scene, deputies learned an adult male, identified as Marc S. Horowitz, was involved in a domestic disturbance where he physically assaulted an adult individual and snatched the person's phone," the spokesperson continued.
The confrontation followed an evening of drinking before Horowitz and his wife returned home and began arguing, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by the Sun Sentinel.
During the argument, Horowitz allegedly took his wife's cellphone from her hand before leaving the home for an unspecified period of time. Upon returning, he reportedly asked his wife for the remote control to the television. When she could not find it, he "pushed her to the ground with both open hands on her chest, causing her to fall on her left side," according to the arrest report.
The victim confirmed to police that she and Horowitz have children together, though the number of children and their ages were not specified.
Horowitz is an assistant principal at Orange Brook Elementary School in Hollywood. The school's website lists him as an administrator and "intern principal."
The arrest prompted action from Broward County Public Schools. The district reassigned Horowitz from the school pending a Human Resources review that could lead to his termination, Miami CBS affiliate WFOR reported.
"He is being reassigned from the school following an off-campus incident pending further Human Resources review and action, which may include termination," the district said in a statement.
Horowitz was reportedly a finalist for Broward County Teacher of the Year in 2021 while working at Flamingo Elementary School in Davie.
Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco said she had previously heard concerns about Horowitz being aggressive, assertive, loud and prone to yelling while working at schools in the district.
"When I heard the word battery, it's an allegation, and I hope that they're not true, but if they are, I just feel that he shouldn't be around children," Fusco told WFOR.
Horowitz appeared before a judge Monday and was released on a $3,000 bond. He was ordered to have no contact with his wife, with an exception for third-party communications. It was not immediately clear when he was scheduled to return to court.
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