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Des Moines Public Schools is now international news after its Superintendent was arrested by ICE. Ian Roberts’ criminal history including drug trafficking, illegal firearms*, and grand theft auto has slowly come to light led by a citizen journalist, Laura Powell. Powell is a civil rights lawyer from California and discusses the mysterious outsider group and individuals that may have been involved.
Powell’s research, questioned by local media at first then later copied without credit, shows a disturbing pattern in Iowa education leadership. The Iowa State Department of Education and The Des Moines School Board are both under fire for negligence. Shockingly, Powell did most of her research on the open internet, some from Robert’s own book where she learned he was part of a “death squad” in Guyana.
The Resume That Didn’t Add Up
Powell uncovered that Roberts’ resume listed two doctoral degrees in the same field—one from Morgan State University and another from an online school—an inconsistency that went unquestioned during his hiring. Her investigation also showed that a third-party consultant, hired for tens of thousands of dollars, failed to perform even a basic credential check. Powell emphasized, “Why would somebody who already had a doctorate… go out and get a second doctorate from an online school? Obviously, this is not accurate.”
Adding to the confusion, discrepancies in Roberts’ reported birthdates—ranging across three different years—further muddied his background. Powell revealed, “He celebrated by creating a Wikipedia page for himself that said he was 36. He was actually turning 44.”
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Was the Hiring Rigged by DC Group?
The episode also digs into the potential political and ideological influences behind Roberts’ hiring. Powell suggests a strong role was played by the Council for Great City Schools (CGCS), a nonprofit receiving $40,000 annually from the Des Moines Public Schools. “The Council keeps the nation’s lawmakers, the media, and the public informed about the progress and problems in big-city schools. The organization does this through legislation, communications, research, and technical assistance,” according to their website.
According to Powell, a representative from the group dominated early hiring meetings. In his assessment, community feedback strongly leaned toward an “urban” candidate, possibly shaping the board’s decision around race rather than qualifications. “There was a lot of discussion clearly that it was supposed to be a Black candidate,” Powell stated.
She also hints at potential cronyism involving Nicole Price—an associate who reportedly received contracts from organizations where Roberts was employed—and questions whether Roberts had been “handpicked” for the role before the official hiring process began.
Real Talents, Real Crimes
Roberts’ actual accomplishments make the story all the more perplexing. As legitimate Olympic athlete, his life could have taken an inspiring trajectory. But Powell’s research uncovers a career built on lies—from fabricating degrees to falsely claiming U.S. citizenship on official documents.
“There’s no way he could have thought he had gone through the naturalization process,” Powell said, dismissing a common idea that Roberts was merely confused about his immigration status.
Redemption or Repeat?
Despite the breadth of evidence, Powell observed that many in local government and media still attempt to rationalize Roberts’ deception. “They want to believe. They don’t want to believe they were foolish,” she said. “It’s easier to con somebody than to convince them they’ve been conned”.
In closing, Powell shared that her investigation is far from over. She’s still chasing leads, including a 2023 protective order against Roberts and financial entanglements with former colleagues.
*Correction from our guest: the charges referenced were from 2020, not 1996.
Board Chair Jackie Norris and Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow declined to come on the show. Snow’s office did provide a written statement:
To protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation, we are unable to participate in a podcast, but can provide some publicly available information on the licensure process.
Dr. Roberts stated that he was a U.S. citizen on the application for Administrator licensure under penalty of perjury. Per their standard process, the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners also conducted criminal history record checks with the Division of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation prior to issuing the license. No deviations from the established licensure process were identified. It is the employer’s responsibility to affirm a person’s I-9 employment eligibility verification, and the Department is reviewing the district’s hiring procedures for verifying individuals are legally authorized to work in the United States.
The rule of law is essential, and all educators and staff must follow the law to preserve public trust. The Iowa Department of Education is committed to upholding rigorous licensure standards and supporting local educators and families in advancing student learning.
– Heather Doe, Communications Director