Ian Roberts, superintendent of the Des Moines Public Schools, was arrested by ICE agents on September 26. The Des Moines Public School District includes parts of northern Warren County.
What do we know?
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What happened?
Ian Roberts, a Guyana national, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents for being in the country illegally.
ICE stated that Roberts entered the United States in 1999 on a student visa and was given a final order of removal by an immigration judge in May 2024. According to the release, he had existing weapons possession charges from 2020.
The superintendent fled when he was approached by ICE agents on Friday, but was later found in a wooded area. Roberts was allegedly found with a loaded gun.
What’s happening now?
Ian Roberts is still being paid, as the board unanimously voted to put him on paid administrative leave. According to public records, the superintendent’s annual “base salary” is $270,000.
Following public backlash, the Des Moines school board is holding an emergency meeting this afternoon. They are expected to put Roberts on unpaid administrative leave.
Associate Superintendent Matt Smith is serving as interim superintendent.
State officials have revoked Roberts’ education license.
How are officials reacting?
School board chair Jackie Norris called for people to have “radical empathy” for the alleged criminal who was running Des Moines’ largest school district and continues to receive money from the taxpayers. Norris formerly served as White House chief of staff for then-first lady Michelle Obama.
In contrast, Republicans in the Iowa legislature are calling for a probe to ensure that proper hiring practices are being followed by school districts throughout Iowa.
How does this affect Warren County?
The Des Moines Public School District includes sections of northern Warren County. Ian Roberts’ arrest will have a more direct effect on those students.
Regardless of how the legal issues conclude, the incident gives a very bad impression of the Des Moines public schools. School districts in Warren County have a unique opportunity to present a different vision of Iowa education.
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