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Former Millcreek School Superintendent Arrested by ICE as Illegal Alien with Deportation Order (UPDATED)

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From L to R – Ian Roberts mugshot 9-26-25, mugshot February 2020, Loaded handgun found in car 9-26-25

How well do our public schools investigate potential employees? Especially superintendents! How does an illegal alien get hired for a position like this? He was reportedly making $305,000 as a superintendent for the Des Moines Public Schools in Iowa.

Prior to his position in Iowa, he was the superintendent of the Millcreek School District. What procedure did the Millcreek School District follow that allowed them to hire Ian Roberts without knowing his background? How do you do a search for a superintendent and come up with a candidate like this?

So many questions. Public schools are their own worst enemy when they complain about their poor reputation with the public.

UPDATE:

On February 5th, 2020, Ian Roberts was charged with illegal possession of a firearm:

Roberts has existing weapon possession charges from February 5, 2020. Roberts entered the United States in 1999 on a student visa and was given a final order of removal by an immigration judge in May of 2024.

The investigation into how Roberts acquired the handgun is being turned over to the ATF. It is a violation of federal law for those in the U.S. without legal status to possess a firearm and ammunition. (source)

A search firm, Ray and Associates, began reviewing candidates for the postion of superintendent for Millcreek schools in March of 2020:

The Superintendent of Schools process for Millcreek Township School District began in March 2020 with a preliminary survey sent to the administrators, staff, and community members to identify the characteristics and goals for the next five years for MTSD. The School Board received and reviewed these with Ray and Associates at the forefront of the search. From March through early June 2020, Ray and Associate reviewed applications from 28 candidates from 16 states. The firm, with over 40 years of experience in the industry, created customized candidate profiles to help identify eight initial candidates to be presented to the School Board. The search was further narrowed to five candidates to interview with the School Board.

On June 29th, 2020, Roberts was chosen as the Millcreek School District Superintendent:

During the scheduled School Board meeting on June 29, 2020, Dr. Ian Roberts was voted 9-0 as the selected candidate, pending final contract approvals. Millcreek Township School Board President, Mr. John Diplacido stated, “We are very excited and pleased that Dr. Ian Roberts will be joining our District as our Superintendent.” (source)

ICE arrests Ian Roberts on June 26th, 2025:

ICE Des Moines arrested Ian Andre Roberts, a criminal illegal alien from Guyana in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash and a fixed blade hunting knife. At the time of his arrest, Roberts was working as the Superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools despite being an illegal alien with a final order of removal and no work authorization. (source)

Doesn’t it make you curious?

How did the search firm miss the weapons charge and the fact that he was here illegally and had no work authorization? Did anyone in the Millcreek district ask to see verified results from the required background checks? Wouldn’t it be the job of the school district solicitor to confirm the legal requirements were met for a position at this level? It’s interesting to note that the solicitor for Millcreek and North East are the same individual.

Also interesting, the education search firm, Ray and Associates, is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, home to the George Floyd riots, represented in congress by squad member, Ilhan Omar with Tim Walz as Governor. Is that the best place to look for unbiased recommendations for superintendent candidates?

The story is already slowly disappearing from Erie’s local media. Pretty soon, it will be like it never happened, unless the parents and taxpayers speak up and ask the uncomfortable questions.

Ian Roberts Chosen as Millcreek School Superintendent
ICE Arrests Criminal Alien Serving as Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent

Filed Under: Regional News Tagged With: ,

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Comments

  1. Reading the article, he had 6 or 7 jobs. Doesn’t say if all were superintendent but didn’t any one of those jobs run a background check on him?

  2. Every Employer is required to fill out an I-9 Form. This is required by US Citizenship and Immigration Services. This has been in place for decades! If a school district did not verify eligibility, they are breaking federal law and should be legally charged and not to mention the person responsible should be fired. If they aren’t checking for legal status are they checking for child molesters?

    I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification
    Use Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to verify the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States. All U.S. employers must properly complete Form I-9 for every individual they hire for employment in the United States. This includes citizens and aliens. Both employees and employers (or authorized representatives of the employer) must complete the form.

    On the form, an employee must attest to their employment authorization. The employee must also present their employer with acceptable documents as evidence of identity and employment authorization. The employer must examine these documents to determine whether they reasonably appear to be genuine and relate to the employee, then record the document information on the employee’s Form I-9. Certain employers who choose to remotely examine the employee’s documentation under a DHS-authorized alternative procedure rather than via physical examination must indicate they did so by checking the box provided.

  3. To the parents and taxpayers…. Do not stop asking questions..The solicitor for the North East School District is the same as Millcreek. Red flag. Many things have come loudly and gone quietly from this district. Time to start paying attention if you have been on the sidelines.
    Let’s see what happens with the recent employee put on leave. How will this be handled? Are the “powers that be” hoping time will make the community forget?

  4. When I drove a special needs van for my local western PA school district, I had to pass a PA State Police and FBI background check? How did the Millcreek school board not see similar documents for a superintendent candidate?