Lessons in Child Protection from Iowa
Despite the lessons about child protection policies provided by multiple highly-publicized sex abuse and safeguarding scandals, why do so many organizations that serve children, youth, and vulnerable adults still fall prey to the fast-talking, dynamic predator? Even after task forces and special commissions push for increased vetting of potential employees and volunteers, leaders of child-serving organizations keep hiring the fox to guard the henhouse.
Des Moines School Superintendent Was a Fraud
The latest example is “Doctor” Ian Roberts, who was hired to lead first schools then entire school districts in Baltimore, D.C., St. Louis, California, Pennsylvania and finally Des Moines, Iowa before his recent arrest on immigration charges. Lauded on his hiring as a champion of equity, the first black school superintendent in Iowa’s largest district was hailed by supporters as a “tremendous advocate for students, families, staff, and the community” even after his recent arrest.
As it turns out, Roberts came to Des Moines in 2023 after leaving a similar post in Pennsylvania under a cloud of discrimination and sexual harassment allegations, including rumors that he was caught having sex with a co-worker on school grounds. The consulting firm that recommended him to Des Moines’ school board did so despite finding that he had lied about having a doctoral degree from Morgan State University. A deeper dive into his background would have shown that he lied to Des Moines and Iowa education officials about being a US Citizen, had been ordered deported, and was served with a domestic violence restraining order shortly after being hired.
On September 26, 2025, Roberts was scheduled to participate in a “fun run” with students at one of the district’s elementary schools. Instead of participating in that event, he was arrested after eluding authorities in a district-supplied vehicle in which was found a loaded handgun.
Red Flags the School System Missed
While thankfully not leading to a scandal involving child abuse, the Roberts matter raises similar issues. In hindsight, it’s clear that Des Moines Public Schools should have seen red flags. They knew Roberts misrepresented his educational background before they hired him, bringing into question his other claims. A simple Google search would have belied his claim to having been named the “George Washington University principal of the year” during his time in Washington, DC, as there is no such award. How is it that a school district, whose primary mission is ensuring the safety and education of thousands of children, missed or ignored these and other red flags and put Ian Roberts in their top leadership role? I see three likely reasons.
1. We Are Too Trusting
First, there is a sad tendency among those who truly care about others to see only the good in others. In our experience, leaders of churches and faith-based organizations that have been infiltrated by predators and sociopaths have tended to be naïve. In short, there’s a mindset that “We’re good people who do good, so we presume others who want to join us in doing good share our values.” We see this happen even in organizations with otherwise strong child protection policies.
The Des Moines school board was so excited about “Dr.” Roberts’ persona, his focus on bringing equity and “radical empathy” to the district, and the opportunity to hire the first black superintendent that they ignored the red flags. There is also the strong possibility they believed that questioning Roberts’ credentials and background would have been “unneighborly” or would have reflected badly on them. After all, “good” people don’t question the motives, beliefs, and claims of others, do they?
This tendency is both narcissistic and dangerous. Good child protection policies require us to scrutinize even people we would like to trust. Vetting those who will work with children and youth, or even lead such an organization, is a duty leaders owe to the organization, its mission, its funders, and those it serves. Organizations need to understand that a proper vetting process isn’t about the person being vetted, nor does it show doubt or disbelief in an applicant. Rather, it shows an organizational commitment to mutual accountability and transparency.
2. Vetting is Crucial
Second, vetting and screening are a critical component of strong child protection policies and a crucial responsibility of the organization’s leaders. Des Moines’ school board farmed out to consultants the responsibility of both recruiting candidates for superintendent and performing a thorough background check of the proffered candidate. There is nothing wrong with hiring a qualified third party to screen and vet those who will work with children, youth, and the vulnerable; rather, doing so is often best practice in situations requiring a nationwide inquiry into a candidate’s work history, character, criminal record, and credentials.
Here, however, it appears the school board treated the background check as of secondary importance. The fact that the recruiting firm that is paid for success gives it reason to limit the scope of a background check on the candidates it proposes, and in this case the recruiting firm was allowed to subcontract the work to a third party. News reports indicate that the school board had little idea of what sort of “background check” was even being performed.
3. Transparency is Key
Finally, red flags (or even “pink” flags) can’t be ignored. Perhaps the most shocking admission from the school board (according to the Associated Press) is that it was either before hiring Roberts or shortly thereafter, that he had misrepresented his educational background. One also has to question whether the board’s intentional act of conducting its 2023 superintendent search in secret, thereby skirting state transparency and open meetings laws, prevented a more thorough public vetting of the fraudster. If discrepancies arise in a candidate’s background, they must be investigated.
Conclusion: Scrutinize Even People We Like
Meredith Willson’s The Music Man provides a hauntingly similar, almost prophetic fictional version of the Ian Roberts mess. When con man Harold Hill comes to an Iowa town with false promises of educating the children and real intentions of ripping off the parents, there are plenty of red flags that are ignored. Even when he’s found to be a complete fraud, Hill wins the hearts of the townspeople and especially its local librarian, Marian, because they simply like the guy and like the fact that he’s brought excitement to a sleepy Iowa town. Too often, it seems, our institutions and youth-serving organizations are prone to falling into that trap, tolerating wrongdoing because it’s easier to just get along and be happy.
