Federal agents conducted searches at the residence and district offices of Alberto Carvalho, who leads the Los Angeles public school system, prompting the school board to suspend him with pay on Friday.
The FBI executed search warrants on Wednesday at Carvalho’s home and the headquarters of the Los Angeles Unified School District, though investigators have not disclosed the specific nature of their probe or filed any charges against the superintendent.
Following two days of private discussions, the school board voted without opposition to suspend Carvalho pending the completion of the federal investigation. The district educates over 500,000 students, making it America’s second-largest school system.
Carvalho took charge of the Los Angeles district in 2022 after previously serving as superintendent in Miami’s public schools.
Andres Chait, who serves as the district’s chief of school operations, will assume leadership responsibilities during Carvalho’s absence, according to district officials.
“Our focus remains clear: to ensure stability, continuity, and strong leadership for our students, families, and employees,” Chait said in a statement.
Carvalho has not issued any public response to requests for comment. Federal agents also conducted a search Wednesday at a third property located near Miami. According to the Miami Herald, this Florida location belongs to Debra Kerr, who had professional connections to AllHere, an educational technology firm that previously held a contract with Los Angeles schools before the company’s collapse and its chief executive’s fraud indictment.
During 2024, Carvalho promoted extensively a partnership with AllHere for an artificial intelligence chatbot called “Ed” intended to assist students. However, approximately three months after introducing the technology and paying AllHere $3 million, the district terminated its relationship with the company, which subsequently filed for bankruptcy. Later, company founder Joanna Smith-Griffin faced charges including securities fraud, wire fraud, and identity theft.
District officials stated Wednesday that they “are cooperating with the investigation and we do not have further information at this time.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, Carvalho has disputed having personal involvement in choosing AllHere as a vendor. Following Smith-Griffin’s indictment, Carvalho announced plans to establish a task force to review the district’s failed project, though no public updates have been provided since.
Kerr, who works as an education technology sales representative connecting companies with school districts, reportedly never received her $630,000 commission for facilitating the AllHere agreement with Los Angeles schools, according to The 74, a publication that covered the company’s bankruptcy proceedings in 2024.
The 74 also reported that Kerr maintained established professional relationships with Carvalho dating back to his tenure in Florida, and that her son, who was employed by AllHere, presented the technology to Los Angeles school officials after Carvalho assumed leadership there. The Associated Press could not contact Kerr for comment.
During his five years leading Los Angeles schools, Carvalho has received recognition for improving the district’s academic outcomes. He earned similar acclaim while directing Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida’s largest school system, where the national superintendents association honored him as Superintendent of the Year in 2014.
Spain awarded knighthood to the Portugal-born educator in 2021 in recognition of his efforts to expand Spanish-language educational programs within Miami-Dade County schools.
Shortly afterward, Carvalho accepted the California position and became an outspoken opponent of the Trump administration’s strict immigration enforcement policies, particularly following raids conducted in Los Angeles last year.
Carvalho joined the Los Angeles district during a pivotal period, as the system benefited from substantial state and federal COVID-19 relief funding while still addressing pandemic-related challenges including educational setbacks and reduced student enrollment. He had previously clashed with Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis regarding the governor’s directive prohibiting mandatory mask requirements in schools during the pandemic.
Officials from the Miami-Dade school system acknowledged awareness of the investigation concerning Carvalho but declined to provide additional comment at this time.
