Des Moines school district sues firm that conducted superintendent search

Des Moines school board sues search firm used in superintendent’s hiring process

Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts, right, greets students and staff on the first day of school at Goodrell Elementary on Aug. 25, 2025. (Photo by Jon Lemons/Courtesy of Des Moines Public Schools)The Des Moines School Board is suing JG Consulting, the firm contracted in the search that led to hiring former Superintendent Ian Roberts. The board hired Roberts in 2023. He held the position until Sept. 30, when he resigned after be…

School board sues firm for 'failing to properly vet' superintendent

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. Th…

Des Moines school district says it will pursue legal action against consulting firm after superintendent detained by ICE

"Ian Roberts should have never been presented as a finalist, and if we knew what we know now, he would never have been hired,” board chair Jackie Norris said Friday.

Des Moines Public School system hired superintendent with extensive criminal history

(The Center Square) – The Des Moines Public School Board hired a Guyanan national who had been living in the U.S. illegally for years and has an extensive criminal history dating to 1996.

School district files lawsuit against firm used to hire ex-superintendent detained by ICE

Des Moines Public Schools has filed a lawsuit against the firm hired to facilitate the superintendent search that resulted in the hiring of Ian Roberts, who was detained by ICE last week.

Des Moines Schools to Sue Search Firm After Superintendent’s Arrest

Des Moines Public Schools will file a lawsuit against JG Consulting, the firm that led the search for former Superintendent Ian Roberts, who resigned after being arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The district alleges JG Consulting failed to properly vet Roberts before his 2023 hiring. According to ICE, Roberts had a 2020 weapons charge and a 2024 deportation order. When agents tried to arrest him, he allegedly fled and was later c…