He’s from Guyana, and came here in 1999 on a student visa. It doesn’t look like the school system did a very good job of vetting him. (One wonders, of course, if he would have been on ICE’s radar if he was Caucasian.)
However, TBH, I’d probably rather have this guy in charge of the schools than the one who was arrested, along with two other employees of the small-town district he headed, for accessing students’ medical records. Not surprisingly, he’d lost a previous job for doing the same thing.
This is being discussed in the deportation thread; you might read the posts there:
There is a good chance your first statement is wrong. While he was born in Guyana in 1973, other information suggests he came to the U.S. with his parents in the 1980s, grew up in Brooklyn, attended and graduated from a black oriented college (Coffin State)–graduating in 1998–so he would have started college a few years before then.
Second there are allegations that he may have faked parts of his biography–someone on X has stated there are significant inconsistencies between various sources. But again this is on X with no verification from the major news media–so it could well be fake news. Allegations include:
Birthdate variations: Court records list December 18, 1970; an early Wikipedia entry (possibly edited by Roberts) says 1978; athletic records show 1973.
Birthplace and upbringing: A 2020 quote describes Guyana as his birthplace with parents immigrating separately; a 2024 local news story claims he was born in Brooklyn, NY, and raised by a single mother; his Facebook lists Guyanese secondary schools.
Education: LinkedIn omits degrees despite claims of two master’s, two doctorates (one confirmed EdD from an online university), and a Harvard postdoc; timelines overlap with full-time work.
Awards and career: Self-reported as George Washington University’s 2013 D.C. Principal of the Year (no independent record found); exaggerated job titles in bios.
Military/police service: Claims of being a commissioned officer and police detective in Guyana, including security for Queen Elizabeth II’s 1994 visit.
Other: Marriage records confirm 1970 birth in Guyana; prior legal issues (e.g., child support garnishments, 2022 gun charge); connections to figures like Michelle Obama’s former chief of staff.
The Illinois superintendent was compiling, and sharing, a database of students’ vaccination statuses! Maybe they could be cellies when all is said and done.
@nearwildheaven - you included a similar link to the Mercer Co school superintendent in the OP, though I don’t see any real connection other than both parties being related to education. I presume the new post was to update the thread about said superintendent now being arrested. I’m withdrawing my prior hiding of the apparently off topic post. You may want to clarify if this is supposed to be about the IA school super or more about general abuse by educators/admins.
It’s about people getting hired to important jobs, like school superintendent, without proper investigation or vetting. That’s why I posted both of them here.
