Illegal Iowa Superintendent Exposed

Summary

Morning Wire – “Illegal Iowa Superintendent Exposed”

Date: October 4, 2025
Hosts: John Bickley & Georgia Howe
Guests: Amanda Presto Giacomo (Daily Wire reporter), Laura Powell (civil liberties attorney)
Main Theme:
This episode investigates a major public school scandal in Iowa involving Ian Andre Roberts, an illegal immigrant who served as superintendent for the Des Moines Public Schools despite a deportation order and a criminal history. The hosts and guests examine how Roberts evaded standard background checks, the possible systemic failures that enabled him, and wider implications for hiring practices and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives in education.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Arrest and Scandal Unfolds

• [00:30] Amanda Presto Giacomo reports that 51-year-old Ian Andre Roberts, originally from Guyana, was arrested by ICE on September 26th in a targeted operation.
  • Roberts was illegally in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a hunting knife at the time of arrest.
• Roberts had a deportation order dating to May 2024 and a prior weapons charge from 2020.
• The most shocking detail: Roberts was serving as superintendent (the CEO) of Des Moines Public Schools, the largest school district in Iowa, with over 30,000 students.

2. Roberts’s Background and Resume Discrepancies

• [02:08] Roberts entered the US on a student visa in 1999 and overstayed. His attempts to obtain immigration status were unsuccessful.
• Roberts falsely claimed US citizenship; he was never naturalized.
• Notably, he misrepresented academic credentials—he only obtained a doctorate from an online school in 2021 but had been calling himself “Dr.” for nearly a decade.
  • Memorable quote:
    • Laura Powell ([02:55]):

      "He was calling himself doctor at least as early as 2012, but he didn't get his doctorate until 2021, so he pretended he had one from Morgan State."

• Despite this record, Roberts held leadership roles for 20 years—including superintendent roles in Iowa and Pennsylvania.

3. How Did This Happen? Systemic Failures & DEI

• [03:50] The panel discusses how Roberts escaped scrutiny in a supposedly rigorous system.
  • Laura Powell ([04:07]):

    "The numerous background checks he's gone through somehow missed all of these major red flags...it's kind of absurd on its face that nobody noticed he had a foreign accent when he claimed to be born and raised in Brooklyn. Nobody seemed to have asked more questions."

• Powell links this failure to two elements:
  • Roberts’s own deception.
  • An “obsession” with DEI leading to insufficient scrutiny:
    • Laura Powell ([04:54]):

      "People wanted...more diversity in their staff. I think they were very happy to have a black man who seemed to be perfect, come in and they didn't want to ask questions...we're taught it's a microaggression to ask people questions like where are you from if the person has an accent...I think people were hesitant to question him too hard."

4. DOJ Investigation and Political Ramifications

• [05:38] DOJ’s Civil Rights Division launches an investigation into Des Moines Public Schools, focusing on possible illegal race-based hiring practices highlighted on the district’s website.
• DOJ flags district policies setting demographic hiring goals and prioritizing “voices of people of color.”
• Harmeet Dhillon (DOJ's Deputy AG for Civil Rights) signals more investigations into districts ignoring immigration laws.

5. School District Response & Accountability

• The school board chair, Jackie Norris, reveals Roberts submitted forms claiming citizenship and provided a driver’s license and Social Security number.
  • Jackie Norris ([06:59]):

    "The individual who was leading our district with energy and enthusiasm was detained by ICE agents. Since that time, this district, the Iowa Department of Education, the Department of Homeland Security and others have learned that his citizenship and status and eligibility to work in the U.S. is not what we were led to believe."

  • Norris expresses disappointment and the need for answers.
• The district’s communications director, Phil Roeder, claims a background check was done by a third party (Baker Eubanks). The firm flagged Roberts’s criminal history, but the district proceeded with the hire.
• Critically, the school never used E-Verify, the federal system for confirming employment eligibility.

6.Policy Implications & Calls for Reform

• [08:32] Amanda reports that Iowa law does not currently mandate the use of E-Verify, though legislation is pending.
• Immigration enforcement veteran Scott Makowski calls the hiring of Roberts “a betrayal of public trust,” urging E-Verify be made mandatory nationwide.
  • Makowski ([08:32], quoted by Amanda):

    "The hiring of an undocumented individual with a criminal history and a deportation order into a position of educational leadership exposes a profound vulnerability in our systems...It demands immediate reform to safeguard our institutions and communities." "How many more are out there? Pass E-VERIFY immediately."

• The hosts note increased public pressure for background check reforms, especially following previous immigration-related scandals.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Laura Powell ([02:55]):

  "He was calling himself doctor at least as early as 2012, but he didn't get his doctorate until 2021, so he pretended he had one from Morgan State."

• Laura Powell ([04:07]):

  "Nobody seemed to have asked more questions."

• Laura Powell ([04:54]):

  "This trend in our education system of DEI...they didn't want to ask questions. And...we're taught it's a microaggression to ask people where you're from if the person has an accent."

• Jackie Norris ([06:59]):

  "This is not what we anticipated when we welcomed Dr. Ian Roberts...It is a sad and troubling end for an individual who gave many people, especially our students, hope."

• Scott Makowski ([08:32], via Amanda):

  "This is not merely an oversight, but it's a betrayal of public trust. It demands immediate reform..."

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:30] – Introduction of the Roberts case and his arrest
• [01:12] – Details about Roberts’s background, criminal history, and school leadership role
• [02:08] – Immigration status and fraudulent credentials
• [03:50] – How Roberts evaded detection and background checks
• [04:54] – DEI’s possible role in reducing scrutiny
• [05:38] – DOJ investigation into district’s hiring practices
• [06:59] – Jackie Norris’s official response
• [07:46] – Lack of E-Verify use and background check failures
• [08:32] – Pending legislation and policy commentary
• [09:40] – Closing remarks and outlook

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Overall Tone

The episode is investigative and critical, focusing on systemic flaws and failures in hiring/accountability in public education, with a strong emphasis on the perceived dangers of prioritizing DEI over legal and procedural safeguards. The tone is urgent, skeptical, and conveys concern for institutional integrity.

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Useful for:
Anyone seeking a comprehensive understanding of the Ian Roberts Iowa superintendent scandal—its facts, causes, and implications for public policy and education hiring nationwide. This summary outlines the key facts, context, and ongoing debate for those who haven’t listened to the episode.

Transcript

[John Bickley]

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[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

A criminal illegal immigrant has been arrested.

[Laura Powell]

By ICE after lying about his background and serving as a high school superintendent.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

The case has put a spotlight on.

[Laura Powell]

Hiring practices throughout the nation and launched a DOJ investigation.

[John Bickley]

In this episode, we dig into the details of the case with civil liberties attorney Laura Powell and Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presto Giacomo. I'm Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. This is a weekend edition of Morning Wire. Joining us now to discuss a public school scandal out of Iowa is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presta Giacomo. Hey, Amanda. So we briefly covered this case this past week. Quickly, would you set the stage for us? Who is this illegal immigrant and when was he arrested?

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Yeah. So ICE officers arrested 51 year old Ian Andre Roberts on September 26th, and that was part of a targeted enforcement operation. Roberts, who's from Guyana, he was in the US illegally and had a deportation order from May of 2024. And he also had a prior weapons charge from 2020. He fled from ICE when he was approached but was eventually arrested. And at the time of his arrest, Roberts was illegally in possession of a loaded handgun. He also had $3,000 in cash and a fixed blade hunting knife. And of course, the big issue here, why this is so compelling is that Roberts was serving as the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools. He was basically CEO of the school district which has more than 30,000 kids in it. So a lot of responsibility there's.

[John Bickley]

Right. As I understand, it's the biggest school district in the state. So we have this past illegal weapons charge according to ice. What else do we know about his background?

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Yeah, so we know he entered the US from Guyana back in 1999 on a student visa. He overstayed that visa and he tried to apply for immigration status, but that was unsuccessful. And he was given that final order to be removed in May of 2024. He was never a U.S. citizen, though he apparently falsely claimed to be. We also know that he had six children with five different women. He disclosed that on his Immigration application. That's according to reporting from the Daily Wire's Jenny Terre. His two oldest were born in Guyana, and the others were born in the US as far as resume discrepancies, Roberts apparently obtained a doctorate from an online school a few years back, but he was claiming potentially a decade earlier that he had a doctorate. Here's civil liberties attorney Laura Powell on that.

[Laura Powell]

He claimed many times over the years to have a doctorate from Morgan State University. I don't know. It's possible he did coursework there, but he. He was calling himself doctor at least as early as 2012, but he didn't get his doctorate until 2021, so he pretended he had one from Morgan State.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Now, despite his immigration status, his criminal background, and potential lies on his resume, Roberts worked for more than 20 years. He was a teacher, a principal, and he was a superintendent, not just in Des Moines, but previously at a Pennsylvania school district as well. In light of all this, initially the Des Moines school Board, they held an emergency meeting, and they put Roberts on paid leave. The state then revoked his license to be a superintendent, and he resigned on September 30.

[John Bickley]

How did this happen? How did Robert slip through the cracks?

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Yeah, I mean, it seems like a pretty egregious oversight here. You know, we spoke to Powell for more information on that, and she sees it twofold. First, you know, Robert simply being a con man and a liar. But also this ties into this obsession with DEI goals and initiatives that can blind a lot of people.

[Laura Powell]

And yet it does seem that the numerous background checks he's gone through through professional agencies somehow missed all of these major red flags. You know, he's lied a lot about various basic facts about himself. Where he was born, when he was born, what degrees he has. Those are the big ones. That really seems like somebody should have caught before he got to the point where he's in his second superintendent job. Pretty clear he was not born in Brooklyn, was not raised there. And, you know, it's kind of absurd on its face that nobody noticed that he had a foreign accent when he claimed to be born and raised in Brooklyn. You know, nobody seemed to have asked more questions.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Here's what Powell had to specifically say about how DEI diversity, equity and inclusion possibly ties in here.

[Laura Powell]

I think the reason why he was able to con them goes to this trend in our education system of DEI that people wanted. You look at Des Moines school board, they talk about how they need to have more diversity in their staff. And I think they were very happy to have a black man who seemed to be perfect, come in and they didn't want to ask questions. And besides the fact that, you know, we're taught it's a microaggression to ask people questions like where are you from if the person has an accent? I think people were hesitant to question him too hard. That's my, you know what I imagine was going on with these school board members who were it's an all female school board and they seemed really enthralled by him.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Now on this whole deib the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, on Tuesday they launched an investigation into Des Moines Public Schools to determine if they're engaging in illegal legal race based employment practices. The DOJ highlighted the district's website and that says that they require their teaching and learning staff to match the student population in terms of demographics and cultural responsivity. The district also apparently set goals to increase its number of teachers of color. That was part of an affirmative action plan and they said they were prioritizing voices of people of color in addition to other DEI initiatives. Now commenting on this investigation, Harmeet Dhillon, who's the assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, she tied this into immigration law. On X, she wrote quotes be on notice if you ignore federal immigration laws, we may investigate you too. Now another interesting tie in here is that the chair of the Des Moines School Board is Jackie Norris. Now, she was chief of staff to former first Lady Michelle Obama back in 2009. She's currently running for U.S. senate as a Democrat in Iowa. Norris said that Roberts stated he was a Citizen on his i9 Employment Eligibility form and he provided a driver's license and a Social Security card when he was hired. Here's Norris in her own words.

[Jackie Norris]

The individual who was leading our district with energy and enthusiasm was detained by ICE agents. Since that time, this district, the Iowa Department of Education, the Department of Homeland Security and others have learned that his citizenship and status and eligibility to work in the United States is not what we were led to believe. New details have led to more questions, really important questions for all of us. This is not what we anticipated when we welcomed Dr. Ian Roberts into central Iowa and the Des Moines School District a little more than two years ago. It is a sad and troubling end for an individual who gave many people, especially our students, hope.

[John Bickley]

Is anyone else from the district commenting on this? Did they run proper background checks?

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

So the Des Moines Public School communications director, Phil Roeder, he said that a background check was conducted by a third party before Roberts was hired. Baker Eubanks the company used to run this background check. They told the Daily Wire that they disclosed that Roberts had this criminal history, but the district went ahead to hire him anyway. They didn't find anything on his immigration status, though, apparently. Now additionally reporting again from Jenny Terr shows that Roberts was never run through the federal E VERIFY system. That's the system that checks to see if workers are in the country legally and if they're eligible to work. In fact, it seems that Des Moines Public Schools actually never enrolled in E VERIFY at all.

[John Bickley]

But was the district mandated to run Roberts through E verify?

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

So Iowa doesn't require employers to use E Verify, but currently there is a bill pending that would require this from Iowa employers. Unsurprisingly, this specific case has sparked a lot of calls for E VERIFY to be mandated everywhere. Scott Makowski, who has decades of experience in immigration enforcement and he recently testified before Congress about ice, he told the Daily Wire, quote, the hiring of an undocumented individual with a criminal history and a deportation order into a position of educational leadership exposes a profound vulnerability in our systems, one that he verified could have sealed at the outset. Makowski added that this is not merely an oversight, but it's a betrayal of public trust. He said, it demands immediate reform to safeguarder institutions and communities. Another direct quote, how many more are out there? Pass A VERIFY immediately. So a lot of calls for change as this all continues to unfold. We've seen a lot of calls to action after some other standout illegal immigration cases. Oftentimes those are really brutal and fatal. We'll just have to see how this one shakes out.

[John Bickley]

Yeah, we'll see where this goes. Really a remarkable, frankly unbelievable case that exposes a lot of institutions as you've laid out. Amanda, thanks for reporting.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

You're welcome.

[John Bickley]

That was Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presta Giacomo, and this has been a weekend edition of Morning Wire.