IA - Des Moines school superintendent arrested by ICE (9/26/2025)

[Emerald1328]

I'm still on my first cup of coffee but find it so funny that this article is talking about how they cannot confirm Roberts Doctoral degree yet he is continually referred as Dr. Roberts. HAHAHA. I don't know why it's making me crack up.

Haha I didn’t even notice that

 

[Emerald1328]

Is that a common policy for universities to not release records without "client" consent?Or is that unique to Trident? If it's not the usual policy of most universities, maybe this is why he chose this school in particular.

I’m not sure honestly. I thought maybe FERPA would apply but I couldn’t figure out if Trident qualified by receiving Department of Education funds. However, while I was briefly looking up info on Trident, they have had a lot of shady controversies, including problems with awarding degrees without people having all the requirements fulfilled back around 2011.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Trident University International - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Emerald1328]

I know! I had to provide transcripts, sent from the university, before I was hired. Gee, I guess that it would have been okay in Iowa, to just "say" I have a Master Degree in Special Education. Then, if I was caught in a lie, just say, "Well, I did graduate from high school.". Same difference.

LOL.

Hey, don’t slander Iowa…without us, y’all wouldn’t have sweet corn, pork, ethanol gas and, most importantly, Jason Momoa.

(yes, I know he was born in Hawaii but he moved to Iowa as an infant so he’s ours. fight me, I dare ya)

Although, I guess if there was no Iowa, the music would’ve never died… (iykyk)

 

[Eli9]

According to this article Roberts is also facing federal gun charges.

Federal authorities file gun charge against former Des Moines school superintendent Ian Roberts

Former Des Moines Public Schools superintendent Ian Roberts has been charged with being an illegal alien in possession of firearms after authorities

www.kcci.com

Also in this article Roberts was given a deadline last week to submit proof of his eligibility to legally work in the US. He was unable to do so. MOO

Former Des Moines superintendent now faces federal gun charge

Ian Roberts, the former Des Moines superintendent, now faces a federal weapons charge.

www.wowt.com

 

[sunspun]

Roeder told The Associated Press that the district has seen “nothing that would suggest that he's not a citizen.”

Seems like it would be more helpful to see something that would show that he IS a citizen.

 

[OneLove]

I’m not sure honestly. I thought maybe FERPA would apply but I couldn’t figure out if Trident qualified by receiving Department of Education funds. However, while I was briefly looking up info on Trident, they have had a lot of shady controversies, including problems with awarding degrees without people having all the requirements fulfilled back around 2011.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Trident University International - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

It seems one of the earlier published articles said the university where he did several years of his doctoral classes (not Trident) has confirmed that he did do their doctoral program but was NOT granted a degree from there. This is more common than many people realize. He may have been what is referred to as "ABD", meaning "all but dissertation". At the end of a doctoral program, a candidate must successfully "defend" their dissertation before a panel of university professors. Maybe he didnt even complete his dissertation; mayne he just couldn't successfully defend it. Either way, they elected not to grant him the degree and he elected, for whatever reason, not to work further on it and try again.

Im guessing he turned to Trinity as a shortcut method of getting those initials stamped on a piece of paper so he could claim he had his PhD.

Not defending his actions AT ALL, but I knkw from both sides of academia, both teacher and student, that many doctoral students just don't or won't do the dance all the way to that final finish line. Sometimes the dissertation committees are jerks and sometimes the student just has attitude and won't take it. There's a ton of ABD baristas and book store employees out there.

I'm curious how many ABDs just lie and move on "as though" the way it seems this guy did. .