Ian Roberts, superintendent of the Des Moines, Iowa, public school system, was arrested by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement last week. The district announced it will file suit against the consulting firm that recommended him for the job. Photo courtesy of ICE.
Oct. 3 (UPI) -- The Des Moines Public Schools plans to file a lawsuit against a consulting firm that recommended former superintendent Ian Roberts, who was detained by immigration officials.
JG Consulting is the superintendent search firm that helped the district find and vet potential candidates. The board paid $41,000 to JG Consulting.
The district said in a news release it claims breach of contract for failing to properly vet Roberts "and referred Roberts for consideration even though he could not lawfully hold the position." It also claims negligence for presenting Roberts "as a suitable and viable candidate when he was not."
The Des Moines Register's own investigation found Roberts did not earn a doctorate from Morgan State, which he claimed. He also claimed he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and MIT had no record of his enrollment. He claimed he was awarded the Washington, D.C., "Principal of the Year" from George Washington University, an award designation that doesn't exist.
