WE START WITH BREAKING NEWS. THIS NOON, OUR FORMER DES MOINES SUPERINTENDENT, DOCTOR IAN ROBERTS, IS NO LONGER BEING HELD AT THE WOODBURY COUNTY JAIL. THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TOOK DOCTOR ROBERTS INTO CUSTODY THIS MORNING ON A FEDERAL WARRANT. ICE ARRESTED DOCTOR ROBERTS NEARLY A WEEK AGO. THEY SAY HE RAN FROM A TRAFFIC STOP AND HAD A GUN INSIDE A VEHICLE. AND $3,000 IN CASH. THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SAYS HE HAD A FINAL ORDER FOR REMOVAL FROM 2024. THIS WEEK, HIS LAWYERS SAY THEY PLAN TO FILE A MOTION TO REOPEN HIS CASE. ROBERTS LEGAL TEAM IS HOLDING A TOWN HALL THIS EVENING. IT STARTS AT SIX AT CORINTHIAN BAPTIST CHURCH IN DES MOINES. A FORMER CENTRAL IOWA SUPERINTENDENT IS SHEDDING SOME MORE LIGHT ON THE HIRING PROCESS AT IOWA SCHOOLS. DOCTOR LISA RAMEY IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS OF IOWA, AND SHE TOLD US SHE WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF LAWMAKERS BRING UP USING THE E-VERIFY SYSTEM DURING THIS NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION. THERE’S PROS TO THAT, BECAUSE IT DOES. THEN REALLY CONNECT WITH THAT WORK AUTHORIZATION. BUT THEN THERE’S ALSO FALSE POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES THAT CAN COME WITH THE USE OF THAT PLATFORM AS WELL. THE E-VERIFY SYSTEM ALLOWS EMPLOYERS TO VALIDATE SOMEONE’S IMMIGRATION STATUS. SHE ALSO SHARED MORE ABOUT THE BACKGROUND CHECK PROCESS FOR PEOPLE WHO APPLY TO BE A SUPERINTENDENT. ONCE A PERSON HAS BEEN NARROWED DOWN, THEY ALSO NEED TO PROVIDE AN I-9 FORM AND PROOF THAT THEY
'We are incensed': Former employer of Ian Roberts releases statement
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Updated: 12:29 PM CDT Oct 3, 2025
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A school district in Pennsylvania that previously employed former Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts is weighing options for litigation against Roberts and a search firm that handled his background check.Video above: Former Des Moines school superintendent Ian Roberts no longer in custody at Woodbury County JailRoberts was arrested by immigration authorities last week and resigned his position Tuesday.Millcreek Township School District (MTSD) published a letter to community members in which it explained how the district was "profoundly misled" during the hiring process when it named Roberts the district's superintendent. Specifically, MTSD claims it had not been made aware of Roberts' previous criminal charges, which it calls an "egregious breach of trust that was perpetrated by Roberts."You can read the full statement below.Millcreek Township School District letter regarding former superintendent Dr. Ian RobertsOctober 1, 2025Members of the MTSD Community—As with many of you, we are incensed by the progression of media reports that have been revealed in recent days regarding former Superintendent Ian Roberts.Specifically, we are most disappointed to learn about his lack of citizenship and educational credentialing, as Roberts represented to the District that he was a U.S. citizen and that he had earned a Doctorate in Education. Additionally, although the District received clearances regarding Roberts (including the completed FBI criminal history report) before his first date of employment, there was no indication of any criminal history which the District could lawfully consider as part of the hiring process. The egregious breach of trust that was perpetrated by Roberts, who we hired to lead our schools, is unconscionable.As such, we are now taking proactive steps to hold accountable the individuals who misled us as outlined below:We have directed our Solicitors to contact the appropriate governmental authorities and to provide them with the documents Ian Roberts supplied to the District for employment verification, as we now believe them to be either fabricated or false.We have instructed our Solicitors to determine whether the District has any claims against Roberts as a result of his fraudulent misrepresentations, and if so, to aggressively pursue them.We are actively evaluating potential litigation against the search firm Ray & Associates, Inc. This firm was hired, through contract, to provide services relating to the recruitment of Superintendent candidates, specifically including, to “provide the Board with criminal, civil litigation, social security, motor vehicle record checks and verification of educational degrees for the top (2-3) candidates”. This clause of their agreement was clearly not upheld.We will be discussing and voting on moving forward with potential litigation, as outlined above, in a special Personnel Committee meeting and subsequent Special School Board meeting on Monday, October 6th at 6:00pm at the Millcreek Education Center.We understand that we once welcomed Ian Roberts into our District with open arms However, now we have realized that we were profoundly misled in a way that undermines the very foundation of integrity upon which our District prides itself. As we move forward, we will work to uphold that integrity and be models for our students, our families, and our communities.The students, families and staff of the Millcreek Township School District deserve to be led by officials with the highest level of qualification and integrity. We are fortunate to have the leadership team and Board that is currently in place, and we are confident that, as a community, we will overcome this challenge, together.Regards,Millcreek Township School District Board of School DirectorsRead more about Dr. Ian Roberts
DES MOINES, Iowa — A school district in Pennsylvania that previously employed former Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts is weighing options for litigation against Roberts and a search firm that handled his background check.
Video above: Former Des Moines school superintendent Ian Roberts no longer in custody at Woodbury County Jail
Roberts was arrested by immigration authorities last week and resigned his position Tuesday.
Millcreek Township School District (MTSD) published a letter to community members in which it explained how the district was "profoundly misled" during the hiring process when it named Roberts the district's superintendent. Specifically, MTSD claims it had not been made aware of Roberts' previous criminal charges, which it calls an "egregious breach of trust that was perpetrated by Roberts."
You can read the full statement below.
Millcreek Township School District letter regarding former superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts
October 1, 2025
Members of the MTSD Community—
As with many of you, we are incensed by the progression of media reports that have been revealed in recent days regarding former Superintendent Ian Roberts.
Specifically, we are most disappointed to learn about his lack of citizenship and educational credentialing, as Roberts represented to the District that he was a U.S. citizen and that he had earned a Doctorate in Education. Additionally, although the District received clearances regarding Roberts (including the completed FBI criminal history report) before his first date of employment, there was no indication of any criminal history which the District could lawfully consider as part of the hiring process. The egregious breach of trust that was perpetrated by Roberts, who we hired to lead our schools, is unconscionable.
As such, we are now taking proactive steps to hold accountable the individuals who misled us as outlined below:
- We have directed our Solicitors to contact the appropriate governmental authorities and to provide them with the documents Ian Roberts supplied to the District for employment verification, as we now believe them to be either fabricated or false.
- We have instructed our Solicitors to determine whether the District has any claims against Roberts as a result of his fraudulent misrepresentations, and if so, to aggressively pursue them.
- We are actively evaluating potential litigation against the search firm Ray & Associates, Inc. This firm was hired, through contract, to provide services relating to the recruitment of Superintendent candidates, specifically including, to “provide the Board with criminal, civil litigation, social security, motor vehicle record checks and verification of educational degrees for the top (2-3) candidates”. This clause of their agreement was clearly not upheld.
- We will be discussing and voting on moving forward with potential litigation, as outlined above, in a special Personnel Committee meeting and subsequent Special School Board meeting on Monday, October 6th at 6:00pm at the Millcreek Education Center.
We understand that we once welcomed Ian Roberts into our District with open arms However, now we have realized that we were profoundly misled in a way that undermines the very foundation of integrity upon which our District prides itself. As we move forward, we will work to uphold that integrity and be models for our students, our families, and our communities.
The students, families and staff of the Millcreek Township School District deserve to be led by officials with the highest level of qualification and integrity. We are fortunate to have the leadership team and Board that is currently in place, and we are confident that, as a community, we will overcome this challenge, together.
Regards,
Millcreek Township School District Board of School Directors
Read more about Dr. Ian Roberts
