The Iowa school superintendent, recently detained by federal immigration officials, has decided to resign from his position leading the state’s largest school district, according to his legal representatives on Tuesday.
Ian Roberts plans to submit a resignation letter to the Des Moines Public Schools board, as stated by his lawyers during a press briefing. They also mentioned that a motion to revisit his immigration case would be submitted on Tuesday.
“Today, we’ll be sending a letter from Dr. Roberts to the school board announcing his resignation,” shared Roberts’ attorney, Alfredo Parrish, during the briefing. “As we navigate through this process, we are committed to exploring all options. That remains our top priority as his legal advocates.”
Authorities said a handgun was found in a vehicle used by Ian Roberts to flee pursuing ICE agents. (ICE)
The school board is scheduled to convene Tuesday evening to deliberate on the potential termination or acceptance of Roberts’ resignation, as confirmed by Phil Roeder, the district’s director of communications and public affairs, to Fox News Digital.
“A resignation for someone under contract does not take effect until the board gives its approval,” he said in a statement.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division also revealed on Tuesday the initiation of an investigation into DMPS’s employment practices to examine if the district exhibits discrimination against job applicants concerning their ethnicity, race, or nationality.
“Programs focused on diversity and race-based hiring in our schools contravene federal anti-discrimination statutes and compromise educational objectives,” stated Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon. “School districts must discontinue these illegal initiatives and reinstate merit-based employment systems to serve both student and staff interests.”
The DOJ cited the DMPS website, which states that the district requires its teaching and learning staff to match the student population in terms of “demographics and cultural responsivity.”
“DMPS also set specific quotas for ‘increas[ing] the number of teachers of color’ in an affirmative action plan, the DOJ said. “Its staff retention strategy prioritizes ‘lift[ing] up voices of our People of Color’ and ‘creat[ing] a safer environment for People of Color.’
DMPS also operates the “3D Coalition” project, a recruitment and hiring program for “aspiring minority teachers,” it said.
At Tuesday’s news conference, Parrish said Roberts has been a “tremendous asset” to the community and his students.
“His spirits are high,” Parrish said.
On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, a Republican who represents the Des Moines area, released a redacted excerpt of Roberts’ May 2024 removal order, which he obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
The document said Roberts failed to show up to a removal hearing. Nunn also questioned how Roberts was hired in the first place, given his legal status.
“It is unacceptable that someone under a final order of deportation and without legal work authorization was allowed to lead Iowa’s largest public school system,” he said. “Every parent should be able to trust that school leaders are fully vetted, legally employed and held to the highest standards of accountability.”
