The Des Moines Independent Comm School District board voted unanimously Sept. 27 to place Superintendent Ian Roberts on paid administrative leave pending further information after the district received allegations tied to immigration enforcement.

The board made the action during a specially called meeting and followed with a public statement read by board Chair Jackie Norris on behalf of the full board explaining the district id not previously know about the allegations and describing the district's hiring and vetting steps in 2023.

The motion to place Ian Roberts on paid administrative leave was made by board member Miss Martirano and seconded by Maria Alonzo. Board legal counsel told the board the action was consistent with "Iowa Code chapter 279 and standard district practice" and described the motion as a temporary paid leave "pending further information." The board clerk recorded a unanimous vote in favor; the board announced the motion passed 7-0.

In a statement read aloud after the vote, Jackie Norris, chair of the board, said the board did not have all facts but that "the accusations ICE has made against Dr. Roberts are very serious, and we are taking them very seriously." Norris said the district would cooperate with state authorities.

Norris said the district had required and completed standard pre-employment checks when it hired Roberts in 2023, including an I-9 employment eligibility verification form and a background check conducted by a third party retained by the district's search firm. The board named JG Consulting as the search firm it contracted in December 2022 and said that firm used Baker Eubanks to perform the background check; according to the statement, those checks did not disclose citizenship or immigration issues.

The statement included a timeline provided by the board: the district contracted a search firm in December 2022; interviews of candidates followed in April 2023; the board approved Roberts' contract May 16, 2023; Roberts began as superintendent July 1, 2023; and the state issued a superintendent license on July 11, 2023. The statement said the district
nd the Iowa Department of Education conducted the checks and that an FBI criminal-background check did not raise issues noted on the application for licensure.

Norris recounted that, according to information the board had been told, an immigration judge issued a final removal order in May 2024; she said the district was not made aware of that fact during hiring or afterward and called that omission "very concerning." The board said Roberts has retained outside counsel (identified in the transcript as a law firm), and the firm has provided an initial statement.

The board emphasized the need to continue day-to-day operations for the district's students and staff while facts are gathered. Norris said the district serves about 35,000 students and staff and called for measured public discourse, saying, "We should promote true discourse and facts, not spread misinformation meant to divide us."

The board did not take public questions at the meeting; Norris said no questions would be answered that night and referred additional inquiries to a district staff member present.

Votes at a glance
- Motion: Place Superintendent Ian Roberts on paid administrative leave pending further information.
- Mover: Miss Martirano.
- Second: Maria Alonzo.
- Vote: 7 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain. Outcome: approved.

What the board said about hiring and vetting
The board said it contracted JG Consulting in December 2022 to conduct the superintendent search and that Baker Eubanks performed a third-party background check that did not show issues related to citizenship or immigration. The board said Roberts completed the I-9 form and supplied documentation the district accepted at the time of hire; the Iowa Department of Education issued a superintendent license in July 2023 and the board said the FBI background check connected to licensure did not raise issues.

What the action means
The board described the leave as paid and temporary and said it may revisit the matter if new information becomes available. The legal rationale cited at the meeting referenced Iowa Code chapter 279 and standard district practice.

The board also called for restraint in public discussion and said it would cooperate with state authorities. The board did not provide additional personnel details or a timetable for future meetings on the matter during this session.