An investigation found that a background check firm hired by Des Moines Public Schools performed work without proper licensing while vetting superintendent Ian Roberts. The firm’s screening missed major red flags, including aspects of his criminal and immigration history, partly because it only reviewed limited records. The district relied on the firm’s assurances, but the failures contributed to Roberts’ hiring and later arrest, raising concerns about oversight, accountability, and the reliability of third-party background checks.
Hiring Tips Blog

Des Moines Schools’ Background Check Firm Accused of Unlicensed Work
May 22, 2026 | Education Verification, Educational and Childcare Hiring
Recent Posts
- Drug Testing in Maine and Oklahoma: New Compliance Obligations for Employers
- New Jersey Employers Now Face Private Lawsuits for Cannabis-Based Hiring Decisions
- A Dual Framework Emerges: Marijuana’s Schedule III Reclassification and the Road Ahead for Employers
- The Ultimate Guide to THC Testing and Impairment Testing
- Federal Drug Testing Rule Will Require ‘Directly Observed’ Urine Collection from Truck Drivers
Categories
- Artificial Intelligence Fraud (12)
- Background Check Compliance (117)
- Background Check Laws (76)
- Background Screening (64)
- Biometric Identification (14)
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (2)
- Credit Checks (34)
- Criminal History Check (202)
- Data Protection & Privacy (149)
- E-Verify Issues (91)
- Education Verification (11)
- Educational and Childcare Hiring (29)
- EEOC (54)
- Employer Negligence (37)
- Employment Screening (148)
- Fair Credit Reporting Act (114)
- Featured Posts (1)
- Financial Services Hiring (12)
- Healthcare Hiring (15)
- Hiring Legal Compliance (10)
- Home Services and Repairs Hiring (6)
- Human Resources & Benefits (26)
- Immigration Issues (110)
- IT and Data Security Hiring (12)
- Medical & Pharmaceutical Industry Hiring (20)
- Occupational Fraud (38)
- Pre-employment Drug Testing (222)
- Public Safety Hiring (4)
- Retail Hiring (14)
- Security Services Hiring (4)
- Social Media (32)
- Transportation Industry Hiring (28)
- Uncategorized (1)
- Wage History Checks (5)

