Des Moines School District Superintendent Ian Roberts was placed on administrative leave after federal immigration agents detained him for being in the U.S. illegally and subject to a 2024 removal order.

Roberts fled briefly into a wooded area before being apprehended, and the district is now being managed by the associate superintendent.

School officials said background checks during his 2023 hiring and licensing did not reveal any citizenship or work authorization issues.

Roberts, who was born to Guyanese immigrant parents and competed for Guyana in the 2000 Olympics, has retained legal representation, CBS News has reported.

The Iowa Department of Education is reviewing the district’s hiring procedures to ensure employees are authorized to work in the U.S.