Ian Roberts case shows what happens when institutions choose image over integrity

The case of disgraced former superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools’ Ian Roberts, should be a moment of reckoning — not just for one school district, but for public institutions across America.

His arrest on Sept. 26 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement exposed far more than an immigration violation. It revealed a pattern of deception, systemic failure and misplaced priorities in our public institutions.

Roberts was not just unlawfully present in the U.S. after a final deportation order. He had also lied about key parts of his background, and his claims had gone unchecked or ignored by those who were supposed to vet him. This is not just an immigration case; it is a credibility crisis that cuts to the core of public trust with those we trust with our children.

According to reports, Roberts falsely claimed to have attended MIT Sloan School of Management and earned a doctorate from Morgan State University. He also lied about receiving awards from George Washington University.

These aren’t small embellishments — they are deliberate misrepresentations designed to inflate his credibility, impress hiring committees and gain access to positions of power funded by taxpayers. And it worked, because nobody did their homework.

Roberts entered the U.S. on a student visa in 1999. He was hired to lead Des Moines Public Schools in July 2023, despite having received a deportation order in May 2024 and facing weapons charges in 2020. This timeline raises serious questions about what he disclosed and what the district failed to verify.

When ICE arrested Roberts in September, he had a loaded gun, a knife and more than $3,000 in a school-registered vehicle — hardly the behavior of someone with nothing to hide. Yet some media barely covered it.

Instead, much of the mainstream media tried to frame Roberts as a victim — someone swept up by a “broken immigration system.” In fact, Des Moines Public Schools school board chair Jackie Norris who served as White House chief of staff for then-first lady Michelle Obama called for “radical empathy” in the wake of this case.

What is most troubling is how easily Roberts rose to power. Despite false credentials, immigration issues, and a weapons charge, he passed local, state, and federal checks. He was licensed and hired without scrutiny and faced no accountability until ICE intervened.

This is what happens when institutions prioritize diversity optics over merit, and when background checks are treated as formalities rather than safeguards.

Furthermore, this case also underscores the dangers of DEI-driven hiring practices. When leadership positions are filled based on identity politics rather than qualifications and integrity, we get exactly what we saw here: an unqualified, dishonest individual elevated because he fit a narrative.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division launched an investigation into Des Moines Public Schools to determine whether it engaged in employment practices that violated Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964.

“DEI initiatives and race-based hiring preferences in our schools violate federal anti-discrimination laws and undermine educational priorities,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “School districts must cease these unlawful programs and restore merit-based employment practices for the benefit of both students and employees.”

Des Moines Public Schools requires that its teaching and learning staff match the student population in terms of “demographics and cultural responsivity.” Des Moines Public Schools also set specific quotas to “increase the number of teachers of color” in an affirmative action plan. Its staff retention strategy prioritizes “lift up voices of our People of Color” and “create a safer environment for People of Color.”

DEI programs, while well intentioned by some, often undermine meritocracy, shift focus away from competence, and suppress accountability under the guise of equality. When institutions lower their standards to meet diversity quotas, they risk putting politics ahead of performance and in this case, ahead of the law.

While some may frame this as a matter of harsh and inhumane immigration policy, calling for greater compassion, it misses the core issue.  

The issue is upholding the law. It’s ensuring that those in positions of public trust are who they say they are, and are legally allowed to work in this country. It’s about protecting American institutions from fraud, and making sure that citizens and legal immigrants aren’t displaced by those who break the rules.

If we allow someone to play the victim with a dishonest résumé, a fake doctorate, and no legal right to work to rise simply because they’re a great public speaker, we’re not just being fooled, we’re lowering the standard for leadership. That’s how corruption spreads and institutions collapse.

To rebuild public confidence in our public institutions, especially in education, we must uphold fundamental standards: lawful status, verified credentials and personal integrity. Failing to do so is a disservice to the students, parents and taxpayers who deserve better.

Amelia Koehn-Prout is the public affairs coordinator, host of “Inside Judicial Watch” and correspondent at Judicial Watch. She serves on the development board of the Germanna Foundation.