Letter to the Editor: Don’t turn a blind eye

Recent events surrounding the hiring and subsequent resignation of Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts and the CYA attempts being made by that school board has left me wondering how a person could attain such a public position without someone finding out Dr. Roberts was not a legal citizen of this country.

I was astonished to learn that state agencies, along with private businesses, are not required to use the E-Verify system for checking an applicant’s legal status to work in this country, and that many business owners have actively lobbied against any laws that would require them to do so. The only reason I can think of for any state agency or business owner to be against using E-Verify to confirm the legal status of a job applicant is they don’t want to ask the questions if they fear the answers are not what they will want to hear.

Hiring those who do not have legal status allows for lower wages and no benefits, all good for the bottom line. Turning a blind eye as to whether or not an applicant can work here legally seems to be prevalent not just in our school boards, but has been an issue for decades in the private sector, as witnessed by the current problems we are facing with illegal immigrants flooding our borders for the job opportunities that are given them by desperate or greedy employers.

It’s past time we held employers accountable for hiding behind “plausible deniability” as an excuse for the hiring of those lacking legal permission to work in this country. It’s past time to pass laws requiring all employers, public and private, to use the E-Verify system as part of the hiring process.

John Moore

Newton