LA School Chief Under FBI Investigation After Home, Office Searched

Federal agents searched the home and office of Los Angeles school superintendent Alberto Carvalho on Wednesday. The LA school board will meet Thursday to discuss Carvalho's status amid the ongoing investigation.

Federal investigators executed search warrants Wednesday at the residence and workplace of Los Angeles school district leader Alberto Carvalho, prompting an emergency board meeting to address his future.

The Los Angeles Unified School District’s governing board has scheduled a private session Thursday afternoon to deliberate on Carvalho’s position following the FBI raids. District officials released a brief statement Wednesday confirming their cooperation with investigators while declining to elaborate further.

Federal law enforcement has remained tight-lipped about the scope of their probe into America’s second-largest school system. Agents also conducted a search at a third site in the Miami area, where Carvalho formerly served as schools chief. According to Miami Herald reporting, that Florida residence belongs to Debra Kerr, a former employee of AllHere, an educational technology firm that previously held contracts with Los Angeles schools before its collapse and subsequent fraud charges against its founder.

Carvalho championed AllHere’s artificial intelligence chatbot called ‘Ed’ throughout 2024, describing it as revolutionary for student support. However, the district severed ties with the company roughly three months after the program’s launch and a $3 million payment, as AllHere spiraled into bankruptcy. Company founder Joanna Smith-Griffin later faced federal charges for securities fraud, wire fraud, and identity theft.

When questioned about AllHere’s selection process, Carvalho maintained he played no personal role in choosing the vendor, the Los Angeles Times reported. Following Smith-Griffin’s indictment, Carvalho promised to establish a review committee to investigate the failed partnership, though no public updates have emerged since that announcement.

During his five-year tenure in Los Angeles, Carvalho has earned recognition for boosting student achievement across the district. His reputation was similarly strong in Miami-Dade County, Florida’s largest school system, where he received the National Superintendent of the Year award in 2014 from the American Association of School Administrators.

The Portuguese-born education leader received knighthood from Spain in 2021 for expanding Spanish-language educational opportunities in Miami-Dade schools.

After relocating to California, Carvalho became a vocal opponent of former President Trump’s immigration enforcement policies, particularly following enforcement actions in Los Angeles last year.

Carvalho assumed leadership in Los Angeles during a pivotal period, as the district managed substantial COVID-19 relief funding while addressing pandemic-related challenges including academic setbacks and shrinking student enrollment. He had previously clashed with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over pandemic mask requirements in schools.

Miami-Dade school officials acknowledged awareness of the federal investigation involving their former superintendent but declined further comment.

The FBI’s Miami field office verified that agents conducted a search at a Southwest Ranches home in Broward County, located west of Fort Lauderdale, on Wednesday morning.