Iowa Superintendent Scandal Deepens: Fake Degrees, Gun Charges, and a Broken System

A Scandal That Just Keeps Growing

When the story first broke, we covered how Ian Roberts, the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, was arrested by ICE while carrying a loaded gun and cash in his district car. Parents were told to practice “radical empathy,” as if that could excuse hiring an illegal immigrant with a deportation order. Now, the scandal has only grown. New federal charges and revelations about his past make it clear that this wasn’t a one-off mistake—it was a system-wide failure. (Read our first article here: Iowa Superintendent ICE Arrest Proves Illegals Do Vote)

Guns, Drugs, and Forgery

The Department of Homeland Security has laid out the full rap sheet. Roberts has convictions dating back to the 1990s, including drug possession with intent to sell, forgery, and multiple weapons charges. A search of his home uncovered three guns, including a loaded pistol hidden in a couch cushion. This was not a man with a spotless record who made one bad decision—this was someone with a long history of criminal activity who somehow kept moving up the education ladder.

A Fake Resume That Fooled the System

Roberts also claimed degrees and credentials that don’t exist. He said he attended Morgan State University, but the school confirmed he never graduated. He even claimed to be an incoming MBA candidate at MIT Sloan, but the registrar’s office said they had no record of him. Despite this, he held high-ranking education positions in Baltimore, D.C., St. Louis, California, Pennsylvania, and finally Iowa. Each school district either didn’t do their homework or didn’t care.

The Voter Registration Bombshell

Perhaps the most explosive revelation is that Roberts was registered to vote as a Democrat in Maryland. For years, Americans have been told that illegal immigrants don’t vote. Yet here we are: a school superintendent, in the country illegally, listed on the voter rolls. That alone should force a serious conversation about how secure our elections really are.

DEI Over Competence

This case didn’t happen in a vacuum. Des Moines schools had already been under investigation by the DOJ for race-based hiring practices. Roberts wasn’t just an accidental hire—he was the poster child for a system that put diversity quotas ahead of competence, legality, and student safety. Parents trusted the board to hire the best-qualified leader. Instead, they got a man with fake degrees, drug charges, and a gun under his couch.

Parents Deserve More Than Excuses

The school board’s answer has been to preach empathy, but parents aren’t buying it. They don’t want buzzwords—they want accountability. This case is a reminder that elections for school boards matter. Parents must demand transparency in hiring, real background checks, and leaders who put children first. Roberts should have never been near a classroom, let alone running an entire district.

A System That Needs Fixing

From immigration enforcement to voter registration to school board hiring, Roberts’ case is proof that America’s institutions are failing to protect families. DHS has promised to go after the “worst of the worst,” but it shouldn’t take a national scandal to get action. If anything, this should wake up voters to just how fragile accountability has become in our schools and government.

Closing Thoughts

The Roberts scandal is more than a local embarrassment—it’s a national warning sign. A man who was never supposed to be here rose to one of the highest-paying school jobs in the Midwest while carrying a criminal record, fake credentials, and illegal weapons. That’s not just his failure—it’s the system’s failure. And until parents and voters demand better, stories like this will keep happening.

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JIMMY

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