Former Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts had both a professional and personal relationship with a vendor he promoted for a school contract and failed to disclose his conflict of interest, Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand has found. Sand also said in an audit of the district released Tuesday, April 28, that the district's chief financial officer and procurement manager knew about the conflict and failed to report it to the school board and district staff. The board was unaware of the conflict when it later contracted with the vendor, Lively Paradox of Kansas City, Missouri. The $6,275 agreement in December 2023 with Lively Paradox owner Nicole Price was for conducting personality assessments for board members, the audit reported. Roberts resigned Sept. 30, 2025, after his arrest on immigration and gun charges. Tap the link in our bio for more on this story. #Iowa #IAEd #DesMoines #crime #breakingnews