Des Moines, Iowa: School District Settles Lawsuit Against the Firm That Helped Hire Ian Roberts

Des Moines Public Schools has settled its lawsuit against JG Consulting, the Texas based search firm that led the hiring process that brought former superintendent Ian Roberts to the district in 2023. Court documents filed Monday in federal court notify the court of the settlement. The filing does not state the amount or the terms of the deal.

How the fight started

Roberts resigned in September 2025 after immigration officers arrested him. It later emerged that Roberts, a native of Guyana, had lived and worked in the United States for years without legal authorization, among other discrepancies on his resume. He is now serving a two year prison sentence for immigration and firearm offenses. He pleaded guilty to lying on employment paperwork and possessing firearms without legal status. Days after the arrest, the district sued JG Consulting. Officials accused the firm of negligence and breach of contract, saying it failed to properly vet Roberts before presenting him as a candidate. JG Consulting then filed counterclaims against the district for defamation.

What each side said

Then board chair Jackie Norris announced the suit in hard terms. "The firm failed its duty to properly vet candidates," Norris said. "Ian Roberts should have never been presented as a finalist. If we knew what we knew now, he would have never been hired." The firm denied wrongdoing and, in court filings, accused the district of looking for a scapegoat. "The District's sole focus has been on attempting to shift blame for its failures to JG Consulting," the counterclaim stated. JG Consulting chief executive James Guerra told Radio Iowa that all sides now agree the blame belongs with Roberts. "Not one of us, as an entity, whether its my firm, the school district, or the other third party, is responsible," Guerra said. "So all blame is being shifted to Mr. Roberts." He added one point of agreement. "All parties have agreed that the criminal actions of Mr. Roberts are for him to own," he said.

The settlement, and what stays hidden for now

The case was not set for trial until January 2028. Instead, on Monday, November 9, the parties notified the federal court that they had agreed to a settlement. Formal closing documents are due on December 9. District spokesman Aaron Jaco said in an email that the deal is still being hammered out. "The parties have reached agreement on the material settlement terms and are in the process of finalizing the written agreement," Jaco said. "We will be able to share that agreement once it has been finalized." Guerra said the agreement is still being finalized too. Attorneys for JG Consulting did not return messages from the Des Moines Register seeking comment.

Why Des Moines is still watching

Des Moines Public Schools is Iowa's largest school district, with about 30,000 students. Roberts' arrest drew national attention and hard scrutiny from Republican lawmakers, and it left the district explaining how a superintendent could lead its schools without legal work authorization. The settlement ends the court fight between the district and the firm it paid to run the search. The terms that would show what the fight cost, and who pays, stay sealed inside a written agreement that both sides say is not final yet. That document is due in court on December 9.