The Department of Justice (DOJ) opened an investigation on Tuesday into Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) after its superintendent was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Ian Roberts was revealed to be a Guyanese national in the country illegally who has a criminal record related to unlawfully possessing a firearm. Roberts, who was picked up by ICE on Friday and then placed on administrative leave by the district, has now resigned from his position.
The Daily Caller News Foundation reported on Monday that Roberts was behind a push in the district to change its hiring practices to make it easier for individuals with criminal records to be hired within the schools in the name of diversity. Now, the DOJ is investigating the district for alleged “race-based hiring preferences.”
“DEI initiatives and race-based hiring preferences in our schools violate federal anti-discrimination laws and undermine educational priorities,” Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant Attorney General of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, said in the announcement. “School districts must cease these unlawful programs and restore merit-based employment practices for the benefit of both students and employees.”
DMPS did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
The Trump administration has opened several investigations into universities and school districts over similar allegations, making it clear that racial discrimination will not be tolerated.
The DOJ pointed to several statements and policies by the school district that openly state a commitment to diversity, including explicitly promising to use certain “hiring practices” to demographically gerrymander “the composition of the teaching and learning staff.” DMPS also has an “Affirmative Action Plan” that includes goals to “increase the number of teachers of color” by certain percentages.
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