By HANNAH FINGERHUT, Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s largest school district released a report Friday claiming that it received an abbreviated background check and what was likely a forged transcript when it was hiring its former superintendent, who was charged in a federal indictment with falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen on a federal form.
Des Moines Public Schools hired Ian Roberts in 2023 with the help of a national consulting firm, JG Consulting, which had initially recommended Roberts and four other candidates to the school board, according to the report from an investigator hired by the district.
The investigator, Des Moines-based attorney Melissa Schilling, concluded based on the contract and communications at the time that the school board reasonably relied on JG Consulting to vet Roberts or disclose limitations in their vetting process. The district is likely to cite the report in their ongoing lawsuit against the Texas-based consulting company, who has said the district is trying to shift blame.
A federal grand jury issued a two-count indictment against Roberts, who is originally from Guyana in South America and was arrested by federal agents on Sep. 26. Roberts resigned his position, is in federal custody and is awaiting trial, which is currently scheduled for March.
Schilling is a labor and employment lawyer who also co-leads her firm’s new crisis management practice, according to the firm’s announcement in July. Her work for the district was focused on the selection of JG Consulting for the superintendent search process and the school board’s awareness of discrepancies in Roberts’ records, according to the report.
The district declined to comment further or detail how much Schilling or her firm was paid to do the investigation.
Checking Roberts’ work authorization
Roberts had claimed to be a U.S. citizen on his work eligibility form, providing a driver’s license and Social Security card as supporting documentation. Schilling said Des Moines schools relied on the consulting firm to identify immigration issues since JG Consulting told the district that they were a registered agent with the government’s employment eligibility system, “E-Verify.”
E-Verify compares information entered by an employer from an employee’s documents with records available to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration. But the system has its flaws, recently highlighted in the case of a Maine police officer arrested by immigration authorities even though he was vetted using E-Verify.
Schilling said it was “unknown” whether the firm used E-Verify at the time.
JG Consulting disputes that it was their responsibility, according to a court filing. A spokesperson did not immediately comment on the report released Friday.
“The District had the legal duty and obligation to verify Roberts’ immigration status and work authorization as his employer, and it apparently failed to do so. JG Consulting legally could not, as the non-hiring entity, confirm Roberts’ immigration or work-authorization status,” the court document reads.
Des Moines Public Schools paid JG Consulting $35,000 for facilitating the superintendent search, according to the contract.
A limited background check
Schilling’s report said the background check provided to Des Moines Public Schools by JG Consulting, via a subcontracted third-party company, Baker-Eubanks, only looked at records for the past seven years despite federal law that allows more extensive disclosure for positions paid more than $75,000.
Schilling acknowledged in the report that many state laws prevent access to records, such as arrests or charges, if they did not result in a conviction.
Since his arrest, federal authorities have provided a list of criminal charges in Roberts’ record, including drug possession and intent to sell in 1996 in New York, where state law could have prevented full disclosure of such charges. Officials did not specify the outcome of that charge.
Still, Schilling said a 2012 conviction for reckless driving in Maryland likely would have been disclosed in the background check if it had looked beyond seven years.
The background check did identify — and Roberts did address — a 2022 weapons charge in Pennsylvania, where he was convicted of a minor infraction for unlawfully possessing a loaded hunting rifle in a vehicle. Schilling wrote that JG Consulting called the conviction a “blemish” when they recommended Roberts to the board.
Roberts has also been charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm while being in the country illegally. Officials said he had four firearms, including one found wrapped in a towel in the school-issued vehicle he was driving when he was arrested.
In his application, Roberts had to say whether he was ever charged with a misdemeanor, felony or major traffic violation, such as driving under the influence, according to JG Consulting’s profile for the job. It is not clear how Roberts responded at the time.
A transcript that was likely forged
Roberts falsely claimed on his application that he obtained a doctorate in urban educational leadership from Morgan State University in 2007, according to documents The Associated Press obtained through a public records request.
Schilling confirmed that board members were provided that resume by JG Consulting during the hiring process, though Roberts himself brought paper copies of a different resume — where he indicated he completed “abd,” or all but dissertation — to his in-person interview with the school board.
Although Roberts was enrolled in that doctorate program from 2002 to 2007, the school’s public relations office confirmed in an email that he didn’t receive that degree. It declined to say which degree requirements he hadn’t met, and it would not provide a copy of his transcript to the AP or to Schilling.
Schilling wrote that she was “fairly confident” that the transcript Roberts provided in his application was forged. She wrote that the background check flagged the discrepancy but interviews with board members indicate the issue was not raised by JG Consulting.
JG Consulting has said the district was aware that he had not obtained a doctorate from that university.
In the court filing, the firm said the district was attempting to shift blame for its “hiring and employment shortcomings,” it said. “The District cannot shift blame for its failures and oversights because it knew of Roberts’ criminal issues and resume problems but still decided to hire him.”