How long has Ian Roberts been the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools?

Roberts was named the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools in 2023, according to the district's website.

What was Ian Roberts' background before becoming an educator?

Before becoming an educator, Roberts was an Olympic athlete and competed in track and field at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

Home / Education / Olympic Athlete-Turned-Educator Arrested in Iowa: Immigration and Weapons Violations

Olympic Athlete-Turned-Educator Arrested in Iowa: Immigration and Weapons Violations

Q: What charges is Ian Roberts, the Des Moines Public Schools superintendent, facing?

Roberts is accused of being in the country illegally and possessing a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a hunting knife. He also had existing weapons charges from 2020.

26 Sep, 2025

•

Summary

Des Moines Public Schools superintendent detained by immigration agents
Accused of being in the country illegally and possessing a loaded handgun, $3,000 cash, and a hunting knife
Had existing weapons charges from 2020

On September 24, 2025, the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools in Iowa, Ian Roberts, was detained by immigration agents as part of a "targeted enforcement operation." Roberts, an educator with decades of experience who previously competed as an Olympic athlete, is accused of being in the country illegally and possessing a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a hunting knife.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Roberts entered the US on a student visa in 1999 and was given a final order of removal by an immigration judge in May 2024. He also had existing weapons charges stemming from 2020, and public records show he pleaded guilty to a weapons charge in 2022.

The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners had issued Roberts a license to serve as superintendent in the state just two months ago, in July 2025. However, the school district has now announced that another administrator, Matt Smith, has taken over as interim superintendent while they investigate the new information about Roberts.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.