() The superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools resigned Tuesday following his arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and mounting questions about his credentials and immigration status.

Ian Roberts, who led the 30,000-student district since 2023, stepped down after a noon deadline passed for him to provide citizenship documentation to the school board. His attorney, Alfredo Parrish, announced the resignation at a news conference Tuesday, saying Roberts made the decision out of concern for students, staff and educators.

ICE agents arrested Roberts on Friday, finding him in possession of a loaded handgun, a fixed-blade hunting knife and thousands of dollars in cash. According to ICE, Roberts entered the United States on a student visa in 1999 and received a removal order in May 2024.

The case has raised numerous questions about Roberts’ background. 

A investigation found discrepancies in his birthdate across various records athletic competition records list Dec. 18, 1973, while court documents and his 2017 marriage certificate show Dec. 18, 1970.

Roberts’ academic credentials also appear inconsistent.

Universities deny credentials listed on Ian Roberts’ official biography 

Roberts’ LinkedIn profile and official biography list degrees from multiple institutions, including Morgan State University. However, Morgan State said Roberts “did not receive any degree or certificate” from the institution. St. John’s University confirmed he received a master’s degree but not a doctorate.

Roberts’ attorney said his client obtained a doctorate from Trident University, an online institution. George Washington University told it has no record of awarding Roberts its 2013 “Washington DC Principal of the Year” recognition, despite such a claim appearing in his official biography.

School board minutes from Roberts’ previous position at Mill Creek Township in Pennsylvania show officials questioned his credentials during the 2020 hiring process, noting he “lacked the educational certificate from his educational facilities that he obtained his doctorate.”

The resignation comes as the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division investigates alleged race-based discrimination in hiring practices at Des Moines Public Schools, which federal officials say violates federal law.

Parrish said his firm filed a motion to stay proceedings in Roberts’ deportation case and plans to file a motion to reopen his immigration case. He presented a letter dated March 27, 2025, from Roberts’ previous immigration attorney stating his case had reached “a successful resolution.”

School Board Chair Jackie Norris initially called for “radical empathy” when news of Roberts’ arrest broke. When asked about the board’s responsibility in his hiring, Norris said officials operated on the information provided and saw nothing suggesting questions about his citizenship.

Roberts, a native of Guyana and former Olympic athlete, had been registered to vote in Maryland with a 1970 birth date. That registration remained active despite his years away from the state.