Iowa school district sues firm that vetted superintendent as authorities detail his criminal history
October 3, 2025
Federal authorities have revealed that the superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district, Ian Roberts, had a criminal history before his arrest by immigration agents. The native of Guyana was in the U.S. illegally and lacked work authorization for several years. Officials said the charges on his record include drug possession and weapons offenses. Des Moines Public Schools hired him over two years ago to lead its district of about 30,000 students. The school board is suing the consulting company that vetted Roberts. Also Friday, Des Moines school officials sued the consulting company that conducted the superintendent search in 2022.