Des Moines School Board suing search firm that hired superintendent that was detained by ICE agents last week

DES MOINES — The Des Moines School Board met in closed session this morning and then announced they were suing the search firm used in hiring former superintendent Ian Roberts. 

School Board president Jackie Norris in a prepared statement said JG Consulting did not do its job, as the firm failed its duty to properly vet candidates. She says Roberts should have never been presented as a finalist, and if the board knew now back then, Roberts would never have been hired. 

Roberts was arrested by ICE agents last Friday after losing his authorization to work in the United States well before he was hired to lead the state’s largest school district. The arrest raised several other questions about whether the background information he gave was accurate. 

The school board paid the consulting firm $41,000 to find candidates for the job. 

Roberts, who was born in Guyana, was charged on Thursday by federal officials with being an illegal alien in possession of firearms. ATF agents found three guns in a search of his home after his arrest last week, while a loaded gun was found in his Des Moines Public Schools vehicle.