Radical Empathy
Segment #618
I had never even heard the term radical empathy until a former staffer to Michelle Obama and Des Moines Public School Board Chairman Jackie Norris used this as a rationale to overlook the charges against Ian Roberts, Des Moines School Board Chairman, who apparently is a fraud and an illegal alien. Jackie Norris is a candidate for the US Senate. This is insane.
Radical Empathy - What Is It - Progressive Nonsense
Radical empathy is an active, profound, and often challenging approach to understanding and sharing the feelings and experiences of others.
It goes beyond conventional empathy—which is sometimes seen as simply "putting yourself in someone else's shoes"—by requiring a conscious effort to:
* Deeply understand another's perspective from their point of view, not just imagining how you would feel in their situation.
* Challenge personal biases and societal norms that might prevent a full and honest understanding of someone with a different background or identity.
* Be vulnerable and open to the experiences of others without judgment or defensiveness.
* Decenter oneself, making the other person's story and experience the focus.
* Take action to address systemic issues and injustices, moving from feeling or understanding to working for positive social change.
The "radical" part emphasizes the need to go to the root of others' experiences and actively work to understand those whose perspectives may seem unusual or strange, often with the goal of bridging divides and promoting social justice.
The Lens of Radical Empathy
Senate Candidate and Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris Calls for Radical Empathy for
Based on the context provided, here is a summary of the serious allegations and facts reported concerning Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts, being mindful of your requested sensitivities:
* Immigration Status and Work Authorization: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stated that Mr. Roberts, a native of Guyana, was in the United States illegally and had no work authorization. His employment authorization expired in 2020. He entered the U.S. on a student visa in 1999 and was subject to a final order of removal issued by an immigration judge in May 2024.
* Employment Documentation: The Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) district stated that Mr. Roberts completed the I-9 employment eligibility verification form and submitted the required documentation, and that everything the district had on file indicated he affirmed he was a citizen eligible to work. The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners also reported that he stated he was a U.S. citizen when he applied for an administrator license, which the state subsequently revoked.
* Criminal History: ICE alleges that Mr. Roberts had existing weapon possession charges from February 5, 2020. The DMPS district stated that he disclosed a previous firearm charge related to a hunting rifle during the hiring process and "provided sufficient context and explanation of the situation to move forward."
* Incident at Arrest: ICE reported that Mr. Roberts fled from officers during a traffic stop, abandoning his school-issued vehicle. When apprehended, he was allegedly in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a fixed-blade hunting knife.
* Allegations of Fraud/Lying: The claim that he "lied and falsified his credentials" is supported by reports that he affirmed he was a U.S. citizen on documents like the I-9 form and his license application, despite ICE reports on his actual immigration status and final removal order.
* School Board's Response: The DMPS Board Chair stated that they were unaware of any citizenship or immigration issues. The board placed him on administrative leave, and he has since submitted his resignation.
Proponents of radical empathy, such as political scientist Terri Givens, would argue that applying it to this case requires moving beyond simple judgment and instead involves:
* Understanding the Root Causes: It would involve investigating the systemic and personal circumstances that led a highly successful, decades-long U.S. resident and public servant to be in an undocumented status, face a removal order, and allegedly break the law. This doesn't excuse the actions but seeks to understand the origins of the vulnerability and the system that created the legal status.
* Decentering One's Own Perspective: For a critic, the immediate reaction is often focused on the violation of law ("illegal alien," "fraud"). Radical empathy asks the person to set aside this initial judgment and the security of their own status to truly comprehend the superintendent's experience—the decades of professional success lived under constant personal risk and the fear that led to fleeing the traffic stop.
* Taking Action for Systemic Change: The "radical" part insists that a feeling of sympathy is insufficient. If one were to practice radical empathy, it would compel them to address the immigration system itself, which many view as broken or unjust, rather than just focusing on the individual's failure to follow its rules.
Real World View Radical Empathy
I am sure politically Norris would like a do-over from this statement asking the world for radical empathy for Ian Roberts. Ths showed terrible judgment on her part. JG Consulting was the recruiting firm. Baker-Eubanks did the background check.
Baker-Eubanks is a due diligence firm that specializes in providing comprehensive background investigation and analysis for senior-level management, executive, and Board placements.1
In the context of Ian Roberts' hiring as the Des Moines Public Schools superintendent, the district's officials stated that:
The school board retained a search firm, JG Consulting, to conduct the superintendent search.
Baker-Eubanks was the company hired to conduct the third-party comprehensive background check on Dr. Roberts.
The company focuses specifically on executive screening to help organizations manage risk in their most visible leadership positions, and it also offers due diligence services for Education Executives, including superintendents, administrators, and principals.2
Sometimes you want so bad for your DEI candidate to check all the boxes you skip the formalities of actual research and investigation.
* Rule of Law: This view holds that the superintendent, regardless of his professional success or personal story, knowingly violated the law by overstaying his visa, having a final removal order, allegedly lying on his license application, and reportedly possessing a firearm illegally. From this perspective, focusing on "empathy" is a pathetic excuse for a failure to uphold legal and ethical standards, especially for a public official.
* Empathy for the Victims/System: Critics might argue that empathy should be directed toward the community, the school district, the students, or the taxpayers who were allegedly misled by a public official. They see the empathy being misdirected towards the perpetrator of a serious deception.
* The Action is the Empathy: Some critiques of empathy movements argue that focusing too much on feeling or understanding a perpetrator's pain can be a form of "performative allyship" that avoids the hard work of accountability or upholding justice. In this view, calling for "empathy" is a weak, non-committal response to a case of alleged fraud and illegal conduct.
In short, the tension you highlighted is between a desire for justice, accountability, and the rule of law on one side, and a call for a deep, action-oriented, and systemic understanding of a complex human situation on the other.
