Alberto Carvalho, the superintendent of Los Angeles public schools, was placed on paid leave Friday, two days after the FBI executed search warrants at his home and the district’s headquarters.
Authorities have not disclosed the details of the investigation or indicated any wrongdoing by Carvalho.
Board of Education’s Decision
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board of Education unanimously voted to place Carvalho on leave while the investigation is ongoing, following two days of closed-door deliberations.
Carvalho became the superintendent of the district in 2022, having previously led the Miami-Dade County public schools in Florida.
Leadership Transition
Andres Chait, the district’s chief of school operations, will take over as acting superintendent while Carvalho is on leave. Chait emphasized the district’s commitment to ensuring stability and leadership for students, families, and employees.
“Our focus remains clear: to ensure stability, continuity, and strong leadership for our students, families, and employees,” Chait stated.
FBI Searches and Investigation Background
The FBI’s search warrants were executed on Wednesday, and a third location in Miami was also searched. The Miami Herald reported that the Florida property belonged to Debra Kerr, a former associate of AllHere, an education technology company that had a contract with LAUSD. The company collapsed into bankruptcy, and its leader, Joanna Smith-Griffin, was later indicted for fraud.
In 2024, Carvalho had promoted a deal with AllHere, which included an AI chatbot named “Ed” to assist students. However, just a few months after the technology was introduced, the district severed ties with AllHere, following the company’s bankruptcy and Smith-Griffin’s indictment on charges of securities fraud, wire fraud, and identity theft.
Carvalho’s Denial of Personal Involvement
Carvalho has denied personal involvement in selecting AllHere, as reported by The Los Angeles Times. After the company’s collapse and Smith-Griffin’s indictment, Carvalho said he would create a task force to investigate what went wrong with the district’s project, but there have been no public updates on the task force since.
Kerr, who had worked to finalize the deal with AllHere, claimed she was never paid her $630,000 commission. According to The 74, Kerr had ties with Carvalho from his time overseeing Florida’s school district and was connected to Carvalho’s son, who worked for AllHere.
Carvalho’s Achievements and Criticisms
In recent years, Carvalho has been praised for improvements in academic performance within Los Angeles schools. He received similar accolades while leading Miami-Dade County Public Schools, where he was named Superintendent of the Year in 2014 by the National Superintendents Association.
In recognition of his work expanding Spanish-language programs, Carvalho was knighted by Spain in 2021. Afterward, he took the position in California, where he became an outspoken critic of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, especially following raids in Los Angeles.
District and Miami-Dade Response
The Los Angeles district stated that it is cooperating with the investigation but did not provide further details. The Miami-Dade school district, where Carvalho previously worked, acknowledged the investigation but refrained from commenting.
