Lying about academic credentials would become a crime in Iowa under a bill that’s been approved by a House subcommittee.
Representative Dean Fisher drafted the bill after former Des Moines superintendent Ian Roberts was arrested by ICE agents and false claims on his job application came to light. Roberts had completed some coursework at Morgan State University, but claimed he had a doctorate from the Baltimore, Maryland school.
Representative Fisher said his bill is meant to address cases — like the one involving Roberts — that are egregious. “First of all, you’re committing fraud against the institution that you’re claiming credentials from, because it’s like trademark infringement, that kind of thing. Secondly, you’re defrauding the employer they hire you. You’ve got fraudulent credentials,” Fisher said. “You get paid for something that you don’t really have.”…