Des Moines school board sues firm for ‘failing to properly vet’ detained superintendent

Published October 3, 2025 4:50pm ET



A public school district in Des Moines, Iowa, sued a consulting firm on Friday for “failing to properly vet” a former superintendent detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement last week.

The lawsuit, filed by the Des Moines Public Schools Board in state court, blames JG Consulting for facilitating the 2022-2023 superintendent search that led to the hiring of Ian Roberts, an illegal immigrant from Guyana with an extensive criminal record.

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