Defending Education, along with dozens of local parent groups, sent letters to state officials in October, calling on legislative and executive leaders in all 50 states and Washington D.C. to conduct a top-to-bottom audit of their education laws and policies to ensure compliance with federal civil rights and constitutional protections.

The letters cited recent scandals involving superintendents, exposing major failures in how public education systems vet, hire, and oversee personnel — including the processes used to screen candidates, review credentials and monitor conduct.

Specifically, the letter detailed how the Des Moines, Iowa, school board hired Guyanese national Ian Roberts as superintendent — a hire that later drew national attention after Roberts was arrested by federal immigration authorities in September 2025 and later pleaded guilty in January 2026 to federal charges tied to his immigration status and employment paperwork, including an allegation by federal prosecutors that he falsely claimed U.S. citizenship on his I-9 form.

The letters asked state officials whether schools are required to use E-Verify when hiring for positions in schools or school districts. E-Verify is a federal online system that checks a new hire’s Form I-9 information against government records to confirm work authorization.

In response, the office of Hawaii State Rep. Justin Woodson, who serves as the Chair of the Committee of Higher and Lower Education in the Hawaii House of Representatives, responded to the letter, stating that the Hawaii Department of Education does not utilize E-Verify.

Further, the letter asked: “Must schools engage in routine review of employees hired prior to implementation of e-verify? Must they engage in any background review of employees after initial vetting during the entirety of that employee’s tenure?”

Hawaii officials said the state Education Department uses the standard Form I-9 to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all newly hired individuals.

And, to verify educational credentials of applicants and employees, Hawaiian officials said: “The Department verifies educational credentials of applicants and employees based on published job classification or statutory requirements. In most cases, applicants and employees must submit copies of academic transcripts, licenses, certifications, and other relevant documentation.”