State panel revokes Des Moines superintendent’s license following his arrest by federal immigration officers

DES MOINES — A state educational licensing board has revoked the license of the Des Moines Public Schools superintendent following his arrest by federal immigration officers last week.

The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners revoked the state-issued license of Ian Roberts, who was arrested Friday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The state’s action is noted in a letter written by Michael Cavin, the board’s executive director, addressed to Roberts and dated Sunday.

ICE claims Roberts is living in the U.S. illegally and was given a final order of removal by an immigration judge in May of 2024.

“Our office has received information that you no longer possess legal presence in the United States, therefore you (are) not able to hold a license issued by the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners,” Michael Cavin, the board’s executive director, wrote in a letter addressed to Roberts. “The license issued by the Board of Educational Examiners is no longer valid and your authority to serve as superintendent is revoked.”

ICE also claims Roberts fled when first contacted by officers Friday, and when he was apprehended was in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash and a fixed blade hunting knife.

Roberts was taken to the Woodbury County Jail in northwest Iowa late Friday afternoon, according to jail and ICE records, the Associated Press reported.

The Des Moines Public School Board scheduled a special session for Monday, during which it planned to place Roberts on unpaid administrative leave, which is required by law given the state board’s action to revoke Roberts’ license. The board on Saturday put Roberts on leave.

The board on Monday will consider “new information” regarding Roberts’ arrest, according to a district press release.

“New information and confirmed facts will continue to inform our decisions as we develop a path forward,” Des Moines Public Schools Board Chair Jackie Norris said in the press release. “Two things can be true at the same time — Dr. Roberts was an effective and well-respected leader and there are serious questions related to his citizenship and ability to legally perform his duties as superintendent.”

The school board has reached out to Roberts’ lawyer in hopes of getting more information to guide its next steps, the board press release said.

“We hope to hear from Dr. Roberts, but in the interim, we must make decisions that are fact-based, legally sound, and in the best interest of our students, staff and families,” Norris said.

The Iowa Department of Education, in a statement issued Saturday, said the Board of Educational Examiners conducted a criminal history check with the state Division of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation prior to issuing a license to Roberts in 2023.

“No deviations from the established licensure process were identified,” the Iowa DOE statement said.

The DOE then said it is the school district’s responsibility to affirm a person’s eligibility to work in the U.S., and that it is reviewing the Des Moines Public School District’s hiring procedures “for verifying individuals are legally authorized to work in the United States.”

The Des Moines school district said it hired a consulting business to conduct a search for a superintendent and another company conducted a background search of Roberts. The district also said Roberts completed the employment eligibility form “and submitted the required documentation.”

The district said it was not aware of a judge’s final order of removal for Roberts.

Comments: (515) 355-1300, erin.murphy@thegazette.com

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