Ian Roberts: Educator, visionary, criminal

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:00]ICE said Dr. Roberts was found with a loaded gun, $3,000 in cash, and a knife when detained this morning.

[00:00:07]>> Eight months of chaos, confusion, and concerns.

[00:00:11]>> We need to understand what happened and why >> after former De Mo school superintendent Ian Roberts was arrested and detained by ICE officials.

[00:00:20]>> We too are devastated by the news of his detainment. I we think about the kids and you know he sparked a joy in our kids and an excitement in our kids and that's I think it probably over time is probably heartbreaking if it turns out that his citizenship status is in question.

[00:00:40]>> An enthusiastic and positive role model entrusted with leading Iowa's largest school district >> numbers were going up the dropout rates were going down. Who else has done that?

[00:00:50]would be at the center of an arrest that made national headlines.

[00:00:54]>> And add all that, the black male wearing a gray suit, you know, the pink shirt underneath suit jacket >> and revealed lies about his past.

[00:01:03]>> If we knew what we knew now, he would never have been hired.

[00:01:20]Thank you for joining us. I'm Joseph Holloway. This special report focuses on a whirlwind time for the De Mo community that no one ever saw coming at the beginning of the 2025 2026 school year.

[00:01:32]No one would have ever imagined that Superintendent Ian Roberts time at De Mo public schools would end with an arrest by immigration officials and unexpected discoveries about his past. Now, with the superintendent receiving his sentence, we look back at the journey to this point and what's ahead for Roberts, the school district, and our community.

[00:02:01]Iowa State Patrol's calling us. I guess they're saying they think ICE is in some sort of chase in the area there, but uh they don't have anything further. I just spoke with a officer with the ICE department and he advised that they had a male bail out near you and trailer court and so that's what the commotion is down the south side.

[00:02:24]>> Yeah, add all that. It's a black male wearing a gray suit. He has a pink shirt underneath the suit suit jacket. So he's somewhere between my location and that's trailer park.

[00:02:35]September 26th of 2025, shortly before 9:00 a.m., the Iowa Department of Public Safety says it received a mutual aid request from ICE to help find a person who sped away from a traffic stop.

[00:02:47]Shortly after, Iowa State Patrol and ICE agents said that they caught the suspect in De Moine. At the time, it was not immediately clear who that suspect was.

[00:02:57]Sergeant Paul Perezic with the De Moines Police Department told Local 5 at the time that DMPD was not involved in the immigration activity. Perisic added that officers did see an unmarked car with flashing lights from quote some agency and that agents told officers they didn't need any help. Local 5 was able to also confirm while this was going on, ISP was present near the intersection of Indianola Avenue and Euing Trace Boulevard. That's about 10 minutes away from downtown De Moines. Within hours, De Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris confirmed to Local 5 who exactly had been arrested. It's superintendent Ian Roberts. Our team here at Local 5 spent the next few hours trying to confirm more details behind the arrest.

[00:03:45]We obtained ICE records showing Roberts was being held in the Palawan County Jail. That's over 2 hours away from the area where officials arrested Roberts.

[00:03:55]And later that afternoon, immigration officials sent us more information. A press release from ICE said that Roberts is a Guyana national. He entered the US in 1999 on a student visa and was given a final order of removal by an immigration judge in May of 2024. ICE went on to say that Roberts was in possession of a loaded weapon in his districts vehicle. It is a violation of federal law for those in the US without legal status to possess a firearm and ammunition. ICE also said Roberts had $3,000 in cash as well as a fixedblade hunting knife. As all of this was unfolding, DMPS named Matt Smith as its interim superintendent. The school board held a press conference where both Smith and President Jackie Norris spoke shortly after ICE released information about this situation. Now, given the complexity of the situation, the school board did not have much information at the time. Norris shared a brief history of Robert's time in the district.

[00:04:57]>> Dr. Roberts joined us in July 2023 and has held educational leadership positions in districts across the US for 20 years. The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners issued Dr. Roberts a license to serve as superintendent in the state of Iowa in July 2023.

[00:05:18]There is new information that has been made public that we did not know and we have not been able to verify as to whether that information is accurate.

[00:05:27]>> Matt Smith assured the public that as information became available, he would be transparent. He went on to reaffirm the district's mission and that this would not interfere with students learning.

[00:05:40]The strength of De Mo Public Schools is in its people, our leaders, educators, and staff who will continue to advance the mission on behalf of our students and families as we wait for clarity in what comes next.

[00:05:55]In the words of Dr. Roberts, if you paddle together, you will survive the tide. If you paddle alone, you will likely drown.

[00:06:04]As we move forward and learn more, we choose to paddle together.

[00:06:10]>> Underneath the Neil Smith Federal Office buildings, a protest the day of Dr. Ian Roberts detainment.

[00:06:19]>> Hours after Robert's arrest, protesters gathered in downtown De Moine. People flooded the area holding up signs, chanting, and showing their support for Roberts. Over the course of the next week and a half, some students and parents voiced their frustrations about Robert's detainment and broader concerns about ICE during school walkouts and protest. Streets in front of schools across De Moines filled with messages calling for Roberts to be freed, while others objected to IC's presence in the state. One parent told Local 5 some students were afraid to show up to school after Robert's arrest. When we spoke yesterday about it with all of the kids, um they mentioned that there was a lot of attendance that there's a lot of kids that didn't show up on Monday because their families or them are afraid for what could happen.

[00:07:08]>> During the protest, students highlighted Robert's accomplishments while serving as superintendent regardless of his immigration status. Naturally, an incident of this magnitude not only created national headlines, but it also drew the attention of elected officials from across our state. Governor Kim Reynolds issued a statement saying that she would not directly comment on an ongoing investigation, but added quote, "We are a nation of laws that must be enforced. Those who believe immigration laws are optional are dangerously wrong.

[00:07:39]When laws are ignored or when people are led to believe there will be no consequences, our communities are at risk. Ians won't stand for that. We must enforce the law every time to protect our families and our future." End quote.

[00:07:54]Representative Zach Nun said in part, quote, "I stand with our law enforcement officers who uphold public safety.

[00:08:00]Unfortunate situations like today underscore exactly why we must fix our broken immigration system. An individual with a prior weapons charge and an active deportation order should never have been placed in this position of public trust." End quote. At the time, the Iowa State Education Association defended Roberts with a statement saying in part, quote, "His leadership and compassion for all students, regardless of background, identity, or family origin, are a beacon of light in one of the state's most diverse school districts." End quote. And in the following weeks, the city, the district, and entire community would learn more about Ian Roberts that they would have never guessed.

[00:08:50]I remain committed to making sure that as I collaborate with every district leader, every school leader, every teacher and staff, that the 31,000 children who knock on our doors every single day in school year 23 24 will get a quality education.

[00:09:09]In May of 2023, the De Mo Public School Board appointed Ian Roberts as its new superintendent, the 15th in the district's history. Roberts brought experience from all across the country, from Washington DC to Baltimore, St. Louis, and Eerie, Pennsylvania. It was a critical moment for the district at the time, especially because its recent superintendent were surrounded by some scandal. Before Roberts was picked to lead the district, Matt Smith was the interim superintendent after Thomas Ahart left. Ahart became superintendent in 2013 and became a subject of controversy during the COVID 19 pandemic. He made the decision to hold classes online for the first two weeks of the 2020 2021 school year. That was a direct violation of a state order requiring in-person learning for at least 50% of students. The challenges are monumental and there are a lot of things working directly against our efforts. So I would have spent more time from the beginning through through the end lobbying more actively lobbying lobbying the community for for more support.

[00:10:18]>> In 2021, the DMPS board voted to not renew Ahart's contract. Days after that decision, a judge ruled that AHART violated Iowa law by defying Governor Reynolds during CO. Months later, Ahart announced he would be resigning. Before Ahart, the superintendent was Nancy Sebring. Sebring would also end up resigning from the role in May of 2012.

[00:10:41]That was just days before a newspaper report came out that said that she sent sexually explicit emails on a district issued laptop and iPad, sometimes during school hours. That news came around the time Sebring accepted a position with the Omaha School District, which she quickly resigned from amid the scandal.

[00:11:00]>> It's an unfortunate thing that has happened. There are no best practice models out there to tell you how to do this.

[00:11:07]>> According to the district's website, Roberts graduated with a bachelor's degree from Coppen State University and has master's degrees from St. John's University and Georgetown University, plus a doctorate in urban educational leadership from Trident University. He's won awards for his work in education and he's also an accomplished athlete competing in track and field at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia back in 2000. But when it comes to his educational background, some other parts came into question during the investigation. We're going to discuss that later on in this report. Robert's hiring was also a big milestone for DMPS. He became the district's first superintendent of color. At DMPS, Roberts led the school district's reimagining education initiative, a 5-year plan to improve student outcomes in and out of the classroom. We are going to continue to highlight all of the amazing and positive things that are happening in the mo public schools. Um, in doing so, the second thing that will happen is we are confident that just based on the plans that we have in place, we are looking to increase and improve our enrollment numbers. And third, and finally, um, just the work that is happening around our sort of marketing and branding. Um, we believe that De Mo public school should be the desired place for every student who resides in the De Mo community.

[00:12:30]When we talked to members across the de mo community, they felt optimistic not just about Roberts, but also for his ambitions for the district. Excited to know that my children can now one day view themselves as someone that can be in this position, not just my children, but for all children within the De Mo public schools. I believe he's a good choice. Um, not not just because of his color, but the things that he wants out of life. He wants equality in this in the future of Iowa >> is a very um tough job and I just hope that uh Dr. Roberts um can fulfill the role and bring his own uh creativity, his own ideas and uh insight into the role and the future of um our school district.

[00:13:18]>> He's eager to face the challenges that are coming ahead of us. And so I think um he recognizes that we are going to need to work um within the constraints of our laws.

[00:13:32]Near the end of his tenure, Robert's reputation expanded to the national level. District Administration, which is a magazine written for K through 12 district level school leaders across the country, named Roberts as a top 100 education influencer. The magazine said Roberts and the rest of the list all had one thing in common, being quote, "Lazer focused on improving outcomes for students across the country and around the world." This was published just a few months before Robert's arrest in June of 2025.

[00:14:12]The federal investigation into Ian Roberts stretches far beyond the day of his arrest. Court records, immigration filings, and criminal complaints reviewed by Local 5 outline a timeline that includes denied residency applications, an order of removal, and a prior firearm conviction dating back to before his time here in De Moines. A federal criminal complaint from October 1st shows ICE agents started surveillance at Robert's De Moine home on September 26th. That was the day that he was arrested. Investigators say they saw Roberts leave his home in a Jeep Cherokee and head north on Indianola Avenue at what agents described as a high rate of speed. Court documents say Roberts later abandoned the vehicle near Swan Lake Circle. In a search led by ICE, Iowa State Patrol and a K-9 unit found Roberts around 200 yards from where he abandoned the Jeep. The criminal complaint says officers found a handgun wrapped in a towel under the driver's seat along with a knife, several thousand in cash, and Robert's Guyana passport. Agents then got a search warrant into his home where federal documents show they found another handgun, a rifle, and a 20 gauge shotgun. There were also immigration documents, expired copies of his Guyana passport, and an expired employment authorization card. Investigators also recovered two firearm declaration tags from Southwest Airlines. The tags came from a flight in 2022 and another in 2024. According to ATF investigators, all four firearms had traveled across state lines prior to being possessed in Iowa. One week after his arrest, ICE shared new claims about Roberts, specifically his criminal record and immigration history. They provided a laundry list of dated events. Now, there are five key years that really stood out. In 1999, federal officials say Roberts came to the US from Guyana on a student visa and stayed here unlawfully after that status expired. Now, between 2001 and 2020, court documents show Roberts filed for lawful permanent residency multiple times and was denied every time. In December of 2020, Roberts lost his lawful employment authorization, but he still got education leadership jobs in Pennsylvania and right here in Iowa.

[00:16:46]Then in May of 2024, DHS says an immigration judge issued Roberts a final order of removal. That same judge denied Robert's motion to reopen his case in April of 2025. As for how Roberts got hired at DMPS, the district later said Roberts passed a thirdparty background check during the hiring process and had disclosed at least one prior weapons related case in Pennsylvania. Now, relating to the gun charge, ICE references a weapons possession charge from February of 2020 in Pennsylvania.

[00:17:19]Local 5 could not find a record matching that date, but court records instead show a guilty plea from Roberts in 2021 to unlawful possession of a loaded firearm inside a vehicle. This came to light in February of 2022 when Roberts was the superintendent of the Mill Creek Township School District in Pennsylvania. In a district Facebook post, Roberts wrote a lengthy explanation about the guilty plea.

[00:17:44]Roberts claims he was stopped by officials after a hunting trip. He says he placed a hunting rifle in the back of his car with the door open. However, Pennsylvania law prohibits carrying a loaded firearm inside of a vehicle. In a statement, Roberts says that he accepted the plea to avoid being away from the Pennsylvania district for a long time.

[00:18:05]He said in part, quote, "Despite the narrative that is attempting to be told, I was not arrested. I received a hunting related citation, a summary offense for which I paid a fine." Now, this situation raises broader questions about how Roberts was able to work in high level public education positions. Iowa Board of Educational Examiners applications require disclosure of non-traic criminal convictions. It's also sounding alarms over how Roberts was able to stay employed despite an order of removal and if school officials were aware of Robert's immigration status. Iowa education officials did revoke Robert's education license after the arrest.

[00:18:56]That is something that we are entrusting our staff along with the families to talk with their children about what citizenship means and also to help people understand that two things can be true. It is possible that you may not be a citizen, but you are still a good human being.

[00:19:15]>> With Roberts arrested, De Mo public school leadership and others would respond. On September 27th, the board held a special session. The board unanimously agreed to place Roberts on paid administrative leave until they knew more about his status. Schoolboard Chair Jackie Norris also directly responded to the new claims ICE made, specifically the final removal order for Roberts. According to ICE, on May in May 2024, an immigration judge issued a final removal order for Dr. Roberts. We were not made aware of that fact and that's very concerning. I want to be clear, no one here was aware of any citizenship or immigration issues that Dr. Roberts may have been facing.

[00:20:01]>> Then came more of an aftershock. 2 days after the board made this initial decision on September 29th, the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners announced it revoked Robert's education license.

[00:20:14]In a letter from the IBE, the executive director, Michael Calvin, said, quote, "Our office has received information that you no longer possess legal presence in the United States." The license issued by the board of educational examiners is no longer valid and your authority to serve as superintendent is revoked.

[00:20:36]That same day, the De Mo school board met again and voted 6 to zero to place Roberts on unpaid leave. Board chair Jackie Norris at the time said that the Department of Homeland Security notified the school board that Roberts was unauthorized to work in the US and the district also received a final order of removal from the US Department of Justice. Norris spoke about how the board also received appropriate materials for Robert's I-9 application and says the third party in charge of their background checks did not flag any citizenship concerns regarding Roberts.

[00:21:12]In hindsight, I think um there is nothing we would have done differently because we followed the process. I think move and and quite honestly, this is the process that many employers use all across the country. And so I think the one thing we will do after this is a kind of an afteraction review to identify ways that we might strengthen or even enhance the process.

[00:21:34]Norris also commented about how the school board said it was stunned to find out about the guns Roberts had on school property at the time of his arrest.

[00:21:44]>> We were completely shocked about the guns and our board policy states that guns are not allowed on district property at district sanctioned events.

[00:21:54]And so we were we were as shocked as as everybody else was to learn of that.

[00:21:59]>> But is that round for termination? that if you find an employee with a weapon and is repeatable is that it is felt wrong for permission.

[00:22:06]>> Yes.

[00:22:08]>> Meanwhile, local leaders and others in the community were trying to navigate this Robert situation. Hours after Robert's arrest, some of those leaders addressed the situation at the Corinthian Baptist Church. Many expressed shock and fear for immigrants after hearing the news. Speakers called for transparency and answers, especially from state officials. When we have a nation that quite possibly could be treating people as unfairly, questionably, we need to make sure that we are as a community demanding due process and demanding uh transparency.

[00:22:48]>> Other leaders in attendance like former Democratic legislator AO Abdul Samad went so far as to say Roberts was targeted because he quote stood up for teachers. Days later, for the first time, we heard directly from Robert's attorney, Alfredo Parish. At the time, he claimed Roberts was under the impression his immigration case had quote successfully closed. During a press conference on September 30th, Parish described the difficulty of the case and asked the community for patience.

[00:23:19]>> This is a very complex uh case.

[00:23:24]It's complex. is to take it a step at a time and at the end of the day we'll find what we think might be the important issues to focus on.

[00:23:37]>> Parish also confirmed Roberts was born in Guyana, but he didn't say if Roberts is a citizen, a US citizen, or had ever applied to become one. Roberts had reported that he was a citizen on his Iowa Board of Educational Examiners application for an administrator license. Also on March 27th of 2025, Roberts allegedly received an email from his then immigration attorney, Jaclyn Gonzalez, based out of Pasadena, Texas.

[00:24:05]It had the subject line, closure of immigration case. The email directed to Roberts Reeds as follows. Quote, I am writing to inform you of the closure of your immigration case. It has been my pleasure to represent you throughout this process and I am pleased to report that your case has reached a successful resolution. Now, this would have been almost a year after Roberts received his final order of removal in May of 2024.

[00:24:34]That law office said that they were not authorized to talk about the case, but here's what Parish had to say about it.

[00:24:41]>> What we found out there that there are a lot of inconsistencies and contracting stuff. That's why we're trying to uh get access to the file so we all have a better understanding of what that is.

[00:24:53]>> That day, Parish also wouldn't answer if Roberts was authorized to work in the US or when he came to the country. ICE officials claimed he entered the US on a student visa in 1999, but records show he graduated from Coppen State University in Baltimore in 1998.

[00:25:11]One message Parish did invoke, Roberts was a tremendous asset to the community >> because, you know, and part of what we are trying to point out uh including the ones down at the uh school downtown have just been significantly improved. And so when we get calls from all over the country, all the community leaders, from judges to uh prosecutors to uh parents, uh not just from schools in De Moines.

[00:25:39]>> That same day, Robert's lawyers announced he resigned as the superintendent of DMPS.

[00:25:46]According to a letter from Parish to the school board, Roberts made this decision, quote, out of concern for his 30,000 students. Dr. Roberts does not want to distract the board, educators, and staff from focusing on educating DMPS students. Robert's resignation did not take effect until it was subsequently approved by the DMPS board.

[00:26:08]>> It is a sad and troubling end for an individual who gave many people, especially our students, hope.

[00:26:14]As De Moines school board members, we have a responsibility to uphold the law, to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and to lead the district forward in the best way possible.

[00:26:26]>> The De Moines School Board approved his resignation that night in a 7 to zero vote. On October 2nd, community members gathered at the Corinthian Baptist Church for a second time after Robert's arrest. this time to hear from Robert's attorneys. Parish and his partner Brandon Brown updated the crowd on their work with Roberts.

[00:26:48]>> We have been in touch with all the entities who have the power to remove him from the country. We have filed, as Brandon just said, all of the pertinent documents, but can we guarantee you um based upon what we know and how the optics are, will he be there tomorrow?

[00:27:06]We cannot guarantee it. These remarks came shortly after another major development in the Roberts case. On October 1st, there was a new criminal complaint filed against him. In a federal court document filed October 1st, nearly a week after Robert's arrest, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agent concluded Roberts quote possessed firearms as an illegal alien. Roberts then appeared in US District Court for the Southern District of Iowa on October 2nd. And then the days after Robert's arrest, reaction was now starting to come from outside of central Iowa. On September 30th, the US Department of Justice launched an investigation into DMPS's employment practices. The DOJ says the investigation would determine whether the district engaged in discriminatory employment practices that violated Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

[00:28:03]that says an employer cannot discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The press release cited the school district's website, which states that educators must match the student population in terms of demographics and culture responsibility. The DOJ also said the district has set quotas to increase the number of teachers of color and the recruitment and hiring program for aspiring minority teachers.

[00:28:33]Assistant Attorney General Harit K.

[00:28:35]Dylan of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division stated, quote, "School districts must cease these unlawful programs and restore merit-based employment practices for the benefit of both students and employees." Now, with Roberts still in jail, attention turned away from him and back on the district, which found some other controversies in Robert's hiring and decisions for the district.

[00:29:09]Pretty soon, Ian Roberts resume was under the microscope. On October 1st, the Associated Press released a shocking report saying Roberts falsely claimed a doctoral degree when applying for the DMPS superintendent job in 2023 and was still hired even after the school board learned about the misrepresentation.

[00:29:28]That led to several months of new developments coming out and eventually litigation. The AP made a public records request and in that request it obtained Robert's 2023 resume which claims he received a doctorate in urban educational leadership from Morgan State University back in 2007. A spokesperson for Morgan State confirmed to the AP Roberts never got that degree. The AP also reported a quote from DMPS spokesperson Phil Rotor. Rotor told the AP, quote, "As part of the background check process that was done at the time, it indicated that he did not complete, he began but did not complete a degree from Morgan State."

[00:30:13]There was another line in the AP's reporting which read, quote, "The false claim on Robert's resume might not have been legally disqualifying, but it may have raised concerns about his integrity." Education Administration experts said this matters because according to DMPS, Robert's background check was done by a third party. That would be a group called JG Consulting, which is a full-ervice educational consulting firm based out of Texas. It was founded in 2014 and focuses on helping public school systems with staff recruiting. Now, here's why they come into play. The firm flagged the resume error during the hiring process for Roberts, and the resume was revised to note Roberts completed all but his doctoral dissertation, and they would soon be at the center of a legal fight with De Mo public schools. On October 3rd, one week after Roberts was arrested, the DMPS board held a closed session. Soon after, it announced that it was filing a lawsuit against JG Consulting. It accused the search firm of breach of contract and negligent misrepresentation.

[00:31:20]DMPS said JG Consulting failed to quote properly vet Roberts and by referring Roberts as a candidate when he could not lawfully hold the position.

[00:31:30]>> The firm failed its duty to properly vet candidates. Ian Roberts should have never been presented as a finalist. And if we knew now what we if we knew what we knew now, he would never have been hired. Norris also said JG Consulting stated it would work with a third party to complete a comprehensive criminal credit and background check. DMPS requested a jury trial and is seeking damages in an amount to be determined at trial. We eventually did hear back from the firm. JG consulting attorney Josh Romero wrote the following. Our team conducted a thorough search of his background and utilized a respected third-party company trusted by many search firms to verify Mr. Robert's information. And as the district has publicly acknowledged, we identified and reported to the board on the discrepancy in his educational history prior to the board making its selection. The board decided to proceed forward with Mr. Roberts despite that notification. Any discrepancy regarding his immigration status was not discovered in any prior placements by any other consulting firm or any other board. Nearly two months after filing the suit, the De Mo school board asked an independent investigator to review how the school board selected JG Consulting to help fill the superintendent position and then provide a report establishing concrete facts around Robert's hiring. Now, Melissa Schilling with De Moine law firm Dickinson, Bradshaw, Fowler, and Hagen, PC, dug into what the school board knew relating to educational, criminal, and immigration issues before and after Roberts was hired. She also interviewed six of the seven school board members who served for the 2022 and 2023 school year during the superintendent search, as one member had died in 2024. Hundreds of documents and confidential audio recordings of meetings about the search held in close session were also reviewed. The report says JG Consulting provided an incorrect version of Robert's resume on multiple occasions to the district. That happened both before and after his hiring. It also found that the background check provided by the firm summarized any discrepancies in his education, quote, in a way that was favorable to Roberts and never noted the variances as an issue. The report also states the background check ran on Roberts included the previous seven years, something that Schilling said the board was not aware of. Schilling wrote the check didn't raise any flags for immigration or criminal issues. JG Consulting did inform the board of Robert's gun citation in Pennsylvania, calling it a blemish. Most recently, JG Consulting announced a counter suit against DMPS in February of this year.

[00:34:26]JG Consulting said the district conducted a defamation campaign against them after Robert's arrest and is now seeking punitive damages. The firm also said it provided the district with all known information about Roberts, including his past weapons charge in Pennsylvania, and that his resume had inconsistencies.

[00:34:46]The firm claims in the wake of Robert's arrest, the district quote, "Faced with a barrage of negative media attention for its decision to hire Dr. Roberts, quickly turned on JG Consulting, pointing the finger at anyone and everyone except itself. The Milky Way community as a whole has been betrayed and we were infuriated at this deception.

[00:35:09]>> Meanwhile, other districts that formerly hired Roberts also reviewed their processes. On October 6th, the Mil Creek Township School Board, where Roberts was previously superintendent, voted to pursue legal action against him and the hiring firm used to vet him during their hiring process. A board member says Roberts was hired following a vetting and search process conducted by Ray and Associates, Inc., which was hired by the board. Similar to DMPS, Mil Creek Township's board president says Ray and Associates and the FBI did not flag any reason not to hire Roberts. There were also no reported red flags found after Roberts filled out his I-9 form, but the board says that the way Roberts filled out the form wasn't the way it's typically done due to CO restrictions.

[00:35:58]>> Three Iowa State senators sent a letter to Iowa State auditor Rob Sand this week. They were asking for an immediate audit of De Moines public schools after former superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts arrest and resignation.

[00:36:11]Back here at home, state auditor Rob Sand responded to this letter from several Republican senators calling for him to audit De Moines public schools, saying that they wanted to ensure all of the taxpayer money the district receives was and is going where it's supposed to.

[00:36:26]These developments came the same week after a new report from the AP with new allegations against Roberts, specifically claims of conflicts of interest. The report says Roberts called the district's board for emergency approval of $116,000 in contracts just three months into his role as superintendent. The AP's investigation found one contract was with a company that marketed Roberts as a consultant and speaker, sold his books, and helped raise his profile.

[00:36:57]That company was Lively Paradox, which is a leadership and consulting firm based in Kansas City. This led to some tension among Iowa's elected officials on both sides of the aisle. A spokesperson for the state auditor said a request would have to come from a school employee or a board official for that audit to happen. Then a week later on October 14th, Sand confirmed his office formally received a request to reodit DMPS. Months later, even more major developments would surface between Roberts and Lively Paradox. On April 28th, Sand released two reports regarding Roberts, with one of them mentioning an undisclosed conflict of interest between Roberts and Lively Paradox. The biggest finding was that the district's CFO and the procurement manager knew about Robert's relationship with Lively Paradox's owner, Nicole Price. While they denied the contract, the conflict of interest was not reported. The state auditor's report says neither the CFO nor the procurement manager told other district staff members about Robert's conflict of interest. Roberts had co-authored two books with Price and was also featured on her website. Roberts later reproposed the district contract with Lively Paradox for a personality assessment.

[00:38:19]This time while the CFO was allegedly out of the country. The contract was worth more than $6,000.

[00:38:26]On Robert's recommendation, the board held a training where Price conducted personality assessments with board members.

[00:38:34]>> Most of us, if we had someone who worked for us and said, "Hey, we should hire this person," and didn't disclose until after the fact that there was a incredibly intense personal relationship between the two of them, we would probably think of that as deceptive. We would probably think of that as unethical. We would probably think of that as a fireable offense. And yet the de mo public schools didn't have a policy uh for conflicts of interest on the personal side.

[00:38:59]>> Sand also found that Roberts donated about $2,000 of the district's money to nonprofits which was against district policy. He also spent $47 on a lift ride in Texas that was quote unsupported. And then even more reporting came out suggesting the scope of the relationship between Robert's Price and Lively Paradox went even beyond De Mo public schools. On April 29th, the AP released a new investigation with some major claims. It found that there was a history of districts where Roberts held leadership positions and awarded contracts to Lively Paradox. When Roberts was working as an administrator for Aspire Public Schools in California, he paid Price $46,000 for services and expenses between December of 2018 and December of 2019. Invoices sent to Mill Creek Township School District, where Roberts also served as superintendent, totaled more than $1,700 for expenses.

[00:40:02]Records indicate Lively Paradox quoted the district a much higher expense of $10,000 for one training, but they agreed Price would work pro bono.

[00:40:11]Records also show Roberts was regularly communicating with Price about their consulting jobs from his district email accounts. Now, prior to this report airing, we did reach out to Lively Paradox and did hear back directly from Nicole Price and the agency. We could not get an interview, but in multiple emails directed at us, Price denied the claims being made in the AP's reporting regarding the connection between Roberts herself and Lively Paradox. In one email, Price told Local 5 that Ian Roberts never approved contracts involving Lively Paradox. Price also said the agency's work with De Mo public schools followed standard district practices. In another email with Price, she again reiterated the same sentiment to us, saying that Roberts did not approve or financially benefit from contracts involving Lively Paradox within DMPS. Price in this email also said that any collaboration outside of district work was separate and limited in scope.

[00:41:21]By the time the dust settled, Ian Roberts faced two federal charges. On October 1st, Roberts was charged with possession of a firearm as an illegal alien. A couple of weeks later, Roberts was then federally charged with one count of false statement for employment.

[00:41:36]A grand jury found Roberts lied on his I- form submitted as part of his hiring process for De Mo Public Schools, where he said he was a US citizen. Roberts planned to plead not guilty, and his trial was eventually set for March 2nd.

[00:41:51]But in mid January, he changed his plea and the former superintendent of Iowa's largest public school district pleaded guilty to both counts. The hearing included a question and answer conversation with Roberts sitting because he was shackled. In court, Roberts confirmed he knew he was waving his right to a trial and Parish said that the decision Roberts made was about taking accountability.

[00:42:16]>> He said he was guilty. Yeah, he he had done these things. I mean, uh, they don't throw you, but these are things that he did. He wants to accept responsibility for it.

[00:42:27]>> After this news broke, we got a statement from now former DMPS board chair Jackie Norris. Norris said, quote, "As human beings, we should never celebrate another person's downfall. At the same time, it is essential that our young people see that integrity, honesty, and respect for the law matter and that actions carry consequences." In the days leading up to his sentencing, we learned the outcome both the prosecution and Robert's defense team were hoping to reach. According to court documents, prosecutors recommended Robert serve up to 37 months in a US prison before he is likely deported.

[00:43:03]Prosecutors also noted that as part of Robert's plea agreement, they would not pursue additional charges against him.

[00:43:10]Robert's defense team, however, said that he should face probation. According to an unsealed sentencing brief, Robert's defense lawyers argued potential deportation would be enough of a harsh punishment. The defense also cited Roberts would have to face significant time in ICE detention while awaiting removal from the US.

[00:43:32]>> We begin with a breaking news update.

[00:43:34]Ian Roberts is currently in federal court in De Moine and will soon be receiving his sentence.

[00:43:41]On May 29th at 11:00 a.m., Roberts entered the federal courtroom in De Moine for his sentencing. More than two hours later, Roberts was sentenced to 24 months in prison with 8 months credit for time served. And his team said that they would not appeal that decision.

[00:43:59]After Roberts serves his sentence, he'll then be in the custody of US Citizenship and Immigration Services before he is deported. Even though Robert's fate was decided on May 29th, there are still plenty of chapters left to write in the full story of Ian Roberts and even more situations without definitive solutions.

[00:44:28]Even though he was in custody, Ian Roberts didn't go off the grid entirely.

[00:44:33]In fact, he published a new book. This book is titled Unshakable: How Bold Leaders Win Hearts, Inspire Minds, and Obtain Result During Crisis. The 272page book was released on April 27th of 2026.

[00:44:49]The publishers description says the book shares stories from Robert's career that quote expose the raw reality of modern leadership, highlighting leadership lessons drawn from Robert's professional experiences. Now, Roberts also remains active on the professional platform LinkedIn with more than 8,000 followers on his page. Roberts has also written articles posted on his behalf eight times since his arrest, sharing advice and short stories, specifically on LinkedIn. These posts have generated plenty of positive reaction and occasionally some negative thoughts as well. These images are from Robert's LinkedIn pages page and include what he has uploaded in recent months. On the other hand, posts from throughout his career are now being re-examined in the federal case against him. Robert's arrest also cast uncertainty over multiple ongoing legal matters connected to De Mo public schools. So far, there is still no resolution in the ongoing litigation between JG Consulting and DMPS. It is also not yet clear how Robert's departure could affect any pending litigation involving the district or whether he remains directly named in active cases. School officials have not publicly detailed the status of all legal proceedings following his arrest and resignation. For now, those cases remain in various stages of review as the district adjusts to new leadership. One notable step that the district is taking is updating its conflict of interest policy. The district says it was revised to require administrators and other personnel to include required annual disclosure of actual or potential conflicts. All district employees will also have mandatory conflict of interest training every year. The district says it will also more explicitly prohibit donations to nonprofit organizations. The district announced these changes hours before Sand released his reports on Roberts. In the announcement, the district said, quote, "While these findings may be considered relatively minor given the size and scope of our school district's operations, we are determined to continue doing everything possible to adhere to all regulations, especially any involving the use of taxpayer and public money."

[00:47:10]>> We cannot ignore the events and challenges of late September. It was a moment which brought understandable concern and emotion across our community.

[00:47:20]>> Momentum, a plan, and one another.

[00:47:24]Ladies and gentlemen, we have all that we need to make this work for our kids.

[00:47:29]>> Another question still lingering for DMPS. Where does the district go from here with its leadership? The district faces the challenge of selecting its next superintendent during one of the most turbulent periods in its recent history. On October 9th, the board announced it approved a two-year contract for interim superintendent Matt Smith. That would mean he is under contract through the 2026 2027 school year. As of now, the district told us there is no timeline for selecting a permanent superintendent. The school board says the search for a permanent leader will focus on stabilizing leadership and restoring continuity at a time of heightened public attention.

[00:48:08]When Smith first accepted the role, he told us how he planned to rebuild the trust within the community.

[00:48:15]>> The first is um to focus folks on optimism, right? And you don't have to look far when you see 30,000 children walking in and out of our doors every day, right? So looking at their faces and their futures that actually creates community, it inspires hope and it inspires optimism. Um the second is being um out in front of our community um being fully present uh in all of these reimagining education information sessions and talking about the work that we're looking to do for children.

[00:48:43]>> The district also still plans to move forward with its reimagining education plan. Board officials are expected to outline a formal timeline and selection process in the coming months, which may include community input sessions and a national search for candidates. Until a permanent replacement is chosen, Smith will continue overseeing our state's largest school district. Robert's arrest is also fueling political debate at the state house. In the wake of Robert's arrest, Governor Reynolds signed an executive order requiring state government departments to verify employment eligibility, immigration status, and citizenship using federal systems. E-Verify and SAVE. E-Verify confirms work eligibility and save checks. the immigration status or citizenship for public benefits or licenses. Now, that process is administered by US citizenship and immigration services. While federal proceedings involving Roberts continue, De Mo public schools now faces the challenge of moving forward after months of disruption and scrutiny. For district leaders, educators, families, and even students, attention has shifted to stability inside of classrooms and rebuilding confidence and leadership moving forward. As for Roberts, he leaves behind a complicated legacy. One where the words educator, leader, role model come to mind, but where he's also known as a criminal and a liar.