Des Moines school board sues search firm over vetting of superintendent detained by ICE
The Des Moines School Board said Friday it has sued JG Consulting, the firm that helped it hire Ian Roberts as superintendent in the 2022-23 school year. Roberts was taken into custody Sept. 26 by federal immigration agents because he faces a deportation order.
As new concerns have surfaced regarding Roberts’ eligibility and qualifications, the school board believes Texas-based JG Consulting may have failed to properly vet the Guyana-born educator.
“The search firm failed in their duty to properly vet the candidates and Ian Roberts should have never been presented as a potential Superintendent,” board chair Jackie Norris said in a statement. “JG Consulting’s contract required them to bring all known information of a positive or negative nature to the Board, and since that did not happen the Board will pursue aggressive legal action in accordance with the law.”
A copy of the contract, available on the Des Moines Public Schools website, outlines JG Consulting’s responsibilities, including “advertising, search, recruitment, application and resume review, public domain search, complete reference checks and presentation of qualified candidates.” The firm also agreed to conduct “comprehensive reference calls” and verify previous employment. Additionally, the contract says JG Consulting would “arrange for comprehensive criminal, credit, and background checks to be conducted by a third party.”
JG Consulting did not respond to a request for comment from Straight Arrow News.
Roberts’ immigration status and arrest
Roberts entered the United States in 1999 on a student visa and remained in the country after it expired, according to federal administration officials. In May 2024, under the Biden administration, a federal immigration judge ordered his deportation.
Des Moines school officials have said they were unaware of Roberts’ immigration status until U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested him as part of a targeted enforcement action. At the time, police found a loaded gun, approximately $3,000 in cash and a hunting knife in Roberts’ car.
Authorities said Roberts had a prior weapons-related charge in 2020, though details of that case remain unclear. It is illegal for immigrants without legal status to possess a firearm.
Federal officials said Roberts had not held valid work authorization since 2020. He resigned as superintendent Tuesday.
District seeks jury trial and damages
The school district’s lawsuit accuses JG Consulting of breach of contract and negligence. The district is seeking a jury trial and financial compensation.
According to the lawsuit, JG Consulting misrepresented Roberts as a viable candidate and failed to exercise reasonable care in verifying his background. These actions, the district claims, led to Roberts’ hiring and the embarrassing fallout from his detainment by federal authorities and subsequent resignation.
No matter how the case is resolved, Norris said, “this lawsuit won’t undo the hurt felt by those who have been impacted by our former superintendent.”
The district is seeking a jury trial and financial compensation. Straight Arrow News reached out to JG Consulting for comment but have not heard back.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
