The Des Moines Public School District has reached a settlement in a lawsuit against the firm it used to hire former superintendent Ian Roberts.
The lawsuit accused JG Consulting of negligence and breach of contract shortly after Roberts was arrested by ICE last year and it was revealed he wasn’t authorized to work in the country. The search firm filed a countersuit, accusing the school district of defamation, but CEO James Guerra says all parties agree that blame belongs with the former superintendent.
“Not one of us, as an entity, whether its my firm, the school district, or the other third party, is responsible. So all blame is being shifted to Mr. Roberts,” he says. Court documents filed Monday notify the court of a settlement but do not state the terms of the agreement. Guerra says the agreement is still being finalized, but they agree on one thing. “All parties have agreed that the criminal actions of Mr. Roberts are for him to own.”
Roberts, who is a a native of Guyana, was sentenced earlier this year to two years in prison. He pled guilty to lying on employment paperwork and possessing firearms without legal status.
