Des Moines School Board takes responsibility for hiring former superintendent arrested by ICE

DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa Capitol Bureau) - The chair of the Des Moines School Board told Iowa lawmakers Wednesday that the board takes responsibility for hiring Ian Roberts as superintendent, but said Roberts misled board members and the consulting firm hired by the board did not share warnings about his citizenship status.

ICE arrested Roberts, a citizen of Guyana, in September. Roberts later pleaded guilty to immigration and gun charges.

Board Chair Kimberly Martorano shared findings from a private investigation into Roberts’ hiring process during a House Education Committee meeting Wednesday. She said the investigator found there was no way the board could have known Roberts’ immigration status and that background checks would not have revealed it.

“The background check would not have revealed these immigration issues to the board because they did not result in a criminal charge until after his arrest,” Martorano said.

The district hired JG Consulting firm, based in Texas, in 2023 to screen superintendent candidates. Martorano said the firm did not notify board members of immigration issues with Roberts.

She acknowledged that the board knew Roberts had a prior gun charge in Pennsylvania but said he explained it as a misunderstanding.

Republican Representative Jeff Shipley questioned the district’s decision.

“If I had this on my record, you wouldn’t even let me in but Superintendent Roberts has it on his record you hire him,” Shipley said.

Board members said they are seeking litigation against JG Consulting and will conduct their own separate background checks on future applicants using E-Verify.

Interim Superintendent Matt Smith said the district would remove any employees that it finds who are not eligible to work in the United States.

Senate Republicans are pushing a bill that would require immigration status checks on all school employees in the state.