Ian Roberts, the superintendent of Des Moines, Iowa, boasted an impressive résumé—complete with a supposed doctor of education degree.

But what truly stood out was how Roberts managed to advance his career on a résumé filled with false information. What was real, however, was his record: He was living in the U.S. illegally, had an active deportation order, and had a prior weapons charge.

How did a man with fake degrees, false citizenship claims, and a criminal record end up leading an entire school district? Victor Davis Hanson says the answer lies in the dangers of DEI on today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words.”

“ Why would a sophisticated city and a sophisticated school district hire someone without specifying his citizen status or his degrees? And the answer was: He was a diversity, equity, and inclusion candidate. He was a charismatic, apparently, they thought, black American. This was mostly a white city. It had large minority population. They felt it would be a goodwill gesture to hire the first African American—although he was not an African American, he was a citizen of a foreign country. And he was here illegally. But nevertheless, they thought that would be reflecting on their goodwill, their sensitivity, their liberality. “

👉Don’t miss out on Victor’s latest videos by subscribing to The Daily Signal today. You’ll be notified every time a new piece of content drops: https://www.youtube.com/dailysignal?sub_confirmation=1 

👉If you can’t get enough of Victor Davis Hanson from The Daily Signal, subscribe to his official YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@victordavishanson7273 

👉He’s also the host of “The Victor Davis Hanson Show,” available wherever you prefer to watch or listen. Links to the show and exclusive content are available on his website: https://victorhanson.com 

(0:00) The Firing of Ian Roberts

(0:57) Uncovering the Lies


(4:24) The Role of DEI in Hiring Decisions


(6:01) The Dangers of DEI


(8:06) Conclusion

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices