DES MOINES, Iowa — A Pennsylvania school district where Ian Roberts previously served as superintendent before taking up the same position for Des Moines Public Schools is mulling whether to take legal action against him.

Roberts served as superintendent for Millcreek Township School District in Erie, Pennsylvania from August 2020 to June 2023. According to the district, during his tenure as superintendent they were not aware of any issues regarding his legal status or issues regarding his educational background.

In a statement released last week shortly after Roberts’ arrest by ICE, the district said that Roberts was hired following a vetting process conducted by Ray and Associates, Inc., a national educational executive leadership search firm. The district said that they received all required documentation, including an FBI background check, and that no disqualifying issues were found.

The district also said in that first statement that Roberts was authorized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to work as a superintendent. He also submitted an I-9 employment eligibility verification form that showed he was eligible to work in the country, the district said.

On Wednesday, the district announced that with the claims by ICE that Roberts had overstayed a student visa and was given a final order of removal by an immigration judge in May 2024, as well as his reported doctorate degree being called into question, they are now considering taking further action.

In an updated statement posted on the district’s website, the district said they have advised their lawyers to investigate any claims the district may have against Roberts, specifically whether the documents provided to them were fabricated. The district goes on to say that they’ve told their lawyers that if there are claims, “to aggressively pursue them.”

The district also said they’re entertaining potential litigation against the search firm Ray & Associates, Inc. as the district claims that one of the clauses on the contract that the firm signed “was clearly not upheld.”

The district will be holding a special meeting to discuss and vote on moving forward with potential litigation next week.

You can read the full statement below:

The announcement of potential litigation comes after Roberts’ license was revoked by the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners and the DMPS school board’s acceptance of Roberts’ resignation from the superintendent position.

On Wednesday, DMPS provided more information about Roberts’ resume, and stated that he originally claimed he received a doctorate degree from Morgan State University, but that statement was flagged during his background check. DMPS said that the board was aware of this discrepancy and that they had received a revised resume from Roberts stating he earned the doctorate from Trident University International. The district said that prior to Roberts’ arrest they were not made aware of any issues regarding his citizenship or work eligibility.

The Department of Justice announced on Thursday that Roberts’ had now been charged with being an “illegal alien in possession of firearms.” The DOJ said that after his arrest by ICE on Friday, four firearms were discovered in his possession – one in a vehicle he was driving and three others in his home.

The DOJ also released more information regarding Roberts’ legal status, saying that he was not a US citizen and had been denied permanent residence several times over the years and that his authorization to work in the country had expired in December 2019.