Former Des Moines, Iowa School Superintendent Ian Roberts has been in the news recently due to a federal immigration case. According to Fox Baltimore, he has decided to take a plea deal after it was discovered that he was registered to vote in Maryland despite not being a U.S. citizen.
A court hearing is set for January 22nd in Des Moines, where Roberts, who is originally from Guyana, will face a pending deportation order and a trial on March 2nd. The details of his plea deal have not yet been disclosed, but his past in Maryland has been a matter of public record.
It was revealed that Roberts, who came to the United States in 1994, had been registered to vote in Maryland since his arrest in September 2025. This sparked calls from advocacy groups for stricter standards in the state's voter registration process. Roberts has ties to Maryland dating back many years, as he worked as a teacher and principal for Baltimore City Schools from 2001 to 2010. He later attended Morgan State University, an HBCU, but was unsuccessful in obtaining his Doctorate of Education in Urban Educational Leadership. However, it was in Iowa where his troubles began.
Roberts was taken into custody by agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for having a final order of removal and no work authorization. He resigned from his position as superintendent just days later, making headlines as the first Black person to hold the position in Iowa when he was hired in 2023.
In addition to the threat of deportation, Roberts also faced charges for possessing a firearm as an illegal alien and making a false statement for employment. According to the Des Moines Register, prosecutors allege that Roberts had four guns in his possession, including a loaded handgun that was found in his district-owned vehicle when he attempted to flee from ICE.
His arrest caused confusion and chaos among school officials, who were left wondering how Roberts was hired in the first place. It was later discovered that he had been hired with the assistance of a consulting company, JG Consulting, and had undergone a background check that failed to uncover any previous charges or violations, including a misdemeanor, felony, or major traffic violation like driving under the influence.
As more information about Roberts came to light, it was revealed that he had a lengthy criminal record, including charges for drug possession and intent to sell in 1996, as well as weapons charges in 2020 and 2022, for which he had pleaded guilty. This mishap led to the school district filing a lawsuit against JG Consulting, claiming they had been deceived and were victims of Roberts' dishonesty during his tenure.
Despite the ongoing controversies, Roberts, who is currently being held at Polk County Jail, maintains his innocence and wants the world to know it. His LinkedIn page remains accessible and active, and he has even written a lengthy essay about accountability and the desire to erase unfair negative perceptions and first impressions of others. In it, he writes, "Teaching, leading, and serving – especially in complex systems – is challenging. It demands results, it measures outputs, but above all, it demands that we show up as fully human." He goes on to say that just like a student, many people strive to improve themselves and their situations, hoping to shed the weight of negative perceptions that hold them back.
This situation also brings to light the reasons why 60% of high school students do not consider attending HBCUs, a topic that has been discussed in depth. It serves as a reminder that we must continue to strive for fairness and equality, and that everyone deserves a chance to improve and be judged as a whole person, not just their past mistakes.
