The board of the Mayor's Youth Empowerment Program in Iowa City voted unanimously to fire Roy Marble as the youth leadership director following his marijuana and driving without a license arrest.
Marble was arrested after passing in a no-passing zone and speeding on August 24. He was traveling at a pace over 30 MPH over the limit. When police pulled Marble over, they found a visible marijuana blunt on the floor of the car. Marble's record showed he was barred from driving a vehicle without an ignition interlock, which was not present on the vehicle.
Marble consented to a vehicle search which turned up an open container of beer and a bag of marijuana in the back seat. Discarded marijuana cigarettes and marijuana blunts were located in the ash tray and on the floor of the vehicle.
Marble had a long record of working with youth. He had assisted with Kirkwood Community College's Skills to Employment Program. Many of the young people involved in this program would also be involved in the MYEP program, and Marble seemed like a natural fit.
Surprisingly, Marble met with the board the day after the arrest and was hired that day. Apparently Marble did not mention the arrest or any previous legal charges. Surprisingly, a background check was completed. The board new about prior charges, but not the most recent, which they say would have been grounds to dismiss the job offer.
A spokesperson said they felt this was a good opportunity for Marble to turn his life around, which he was already doing, and help others do the same. The opportunity was meant to present him a chance to give back in return for a less than perfect record.
He would have been charged with raising funds for the youth program, finding jobs for at-risk youth, and running an after-school program where he would have direct contact with young people. No driver's license was necessary. Marble was to be paid based on a consignment of the funds he raised.
Members of the board all agreed Marble should be relieved of the job without hesitation. They encouraged the public to think of Marble as one bad apple but not to discount the possibilities the program offers.
