The Des Moines Independent Community School District Board on Oct. 3 said it has directed legal counsel to pursue action against JG Consulting, the firm the board hired to lead the district's 2023 superintendent search that resulted in the hiring of Ian Roberts.

"JG Consulting was responsible for advertising, recruitment, application and resume review, public domain search, complete reference checks, and presentation of qualified candidates," the Board Chair said in an open-session statement. "It also said it would conduct comprehensive reference calls on each applicant to include the verification of all related employment experiences. JG Consulting stated it would work with a third party to complete a comprehensive criminal, credit, and background check. The contract required JG Consulting to bring all known information of a positive or negative nature to the Board. Because that did not occur, we are pursuing legal action as allowed by law."

The board said it is seeking accountability for taxpayer dollars and reputational damage. "Our district now moves forward, focused on what matters most, our students," the Board Chair said. The board reiterated that Interim Superintendent Matt Smith will lead the district in the near term.

During a post-statement question-and-answer period, the board said it had received a copy of a background check the search firm arranged and that the district is investigating what JG Consulting knew and when. The Board Chair and counsel said the district's inquiry includes the firm's use of a third-party vendor, Baker Eubanks, and inconsistencies the board identified in application materials, including differing resume versions and questions about the credential references for Morgan State University and an institution referenced as Trident.

"At this point, our focus is on filing suit against JG Consulting," the Board Chair said when asked whether the district would sue the candidate, Ian Roberts. Legal counsel declined to comment on details of pending litigation.

Board members also announced that the district has cooperated with state and federal inquiries. The Justice Department and the state education board were reported as reviewing whether any hiring practices were discriminatory; the board said it has cooperated with those agencies and noted that the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners and the governor's office also had previously accepted licensure for Roberts.

The board recorded three formal roll-call outcomes during the meeting: approval of the meeting agenda and two separate motions to enter closed session under Iowa Code Section 21.5(1)(c), each passing 7 to 0. The board left the room for closed sessions and reconvened in open session before one additional closed-session vote was taken and carried. The board adjourned at 9:26 a.m.

The district did not provide dollar amounts tied to the search firm contract or the cost of any potential legal action during the meeting. The board said it would share the court filing once it is publicly available.

The board's statement emphasized that recent district achievements remain intact and said it would continue its stated priorities for early education, reading scores and career pathways while the legal matter proceeds.