The former superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district, who was detained last week by immigration agents, was hired despite falsely claiming a doctoral degree on his resume, according to records obtained by The Associated Press.
Ian Roberts, who resigned this week as superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, stated in his 2023 application that he earned a doctorate in urban educational leadership from Morgan State University in 2007. University officials later confirmed he had enrolled in the program but never completed it.
Even after learning of the false claim, the Des Moines school board hired Roberts to lead a district that serves roughly 30,000 students. District spokesman Phil Roeder said a third-party background check revealed Roberts began but did not complete the Morgan State program, and a corrected resume was supplied. However, after his hiring, the district later received his original application showing the false degree.
“The Des Moines School Board is also a victim of deception by Dr. Roberts, one on a growing list that includes our students and teachers, our parents and community, our elected officials and Iowa’s Board of Educational Examiners, and others,” board chair Jackie Norris said in a statement.
Immigration detention and resignation
Roberts, a native of Guyana and a former Olympic runner, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, who cited a final removal order issued last year and an unspecified prior weapons charge. He remains jailed in Sioux City while his attorney, Alfredo Parrish, challenges the deportation order. Parrish has asked an immigration court in Omaha to stay his removal, calling it a “very complex case.”
Roberts’ superintendent license was revoked by the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners, and the Des Moines school board voted to accept his resignation this week.
Degrees and disputed claims
Roberts’ resume also listed a doctorate in educational leadership from Trident University International, an online for-profit school formerly known as Trident American University. District officials confirmed he earned that degree in 2021. His official biography on the district’s website referenced the Trident doctorate but did not mention Morgan State.
The Associated Press confirmed Roberts’ earlier degrees from Coppin State University (1998) and St. John’s University (2000), as well as prior positions as superintendent of the Millcreek Township School District in Pennsylvania, network superintendent at St. Louis Public Schools, and principal in Baltimore.
Experts in education administration said the false claim about a Morgan State doctorate raised questions about Roberts’ integrity. “That’s a pretty big discrepancy,” said Sadika Jubo of the School Liability Expert Group. “If they are making misrepresentations on their CV, is this a person of moral character? They are going to be in charge of money, staff, and students’ lives.”
Previous settlement and professional history
Before beginning his role in Des Moines, Roberts was involved in a $250,000 settlement with a former colleague in Pennsylvania who alleged unlawful treatment during his time as superintendent of Millcreek Township School District. The agreement, which was made public in 2023, included a nondisclosure clause and required Roberts and others not to disparage each other.
Despite controversies, Roberts had built a two-decade career in education and frequently used the title “doctor.” He also leveraged his profile as a former Olympian for Guyana to build credibility.
The fallout from his resignation has left Iowa’s largest school district without its top leader as the legal and immigration cases against him continue.
Source: Associated Press
