Los Angeles School Superintendent Placed on Paid Leave Amid Federal Probe
Los Angeles School Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has been placed on paid administrative leave while he remains part of an ongoing federal investigation. The decision was made by the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education on Friday, just two days after FBI agents executed search warrants at his private residence and the district's central headquarters.
Details of the Federal Investigation Remain Unclear
Federal authorities have not yet disclosed specific details regarding the nature of their investigation into the nation's second-largest school district, which serves more than 500,000 students across Los Angeles. Carvalho, who assumed the superintendent role in 2022 after previously leading Miami-Dade County Public Schools in Florida, has not responded to requests for comment about his placement on leave.
Andres Chait, the district's chief of school operations, will assume temporary leadership responsibilities while Carvalho remains on administrative leave, according to an official statement from the school district.
Connection to Collapsed Education Technology Company
The federal investigation appears to be connected to Carvalho's involvement with AllHere, an education technology company that previously held a contract with Los Angeles schools before collapsing into bankruptcy. In 2024, Carvalho enthusiastically promoted a partnership with AllHere for an artificial intelligence chatbot named "Ed" designed to assist students with their educational needs.
The school district paid AllHere approximately $3 million for the technology, but terminated their relationship with the company just three months after publicly unveiling the chatbot. Months later, AllHere founder Joanna Smith-Griffin was indicted on multiple charges including securities fraud, wire fraud, and identity theft.
Additional Searches and Financial Disputes Emerge
Federal investigators also searched a third location near Miami on Wednesday, which the Miami Herald identified as property belonging to Debra Kerr. Kerr previously worked with AllHere as an education technology salesperson who helped connect companies with school districts. According to bankruptcy hearing coverage by The 74, Kerr claims she was never paid her $630,000 commission for her work in securing the AllHere contract with Los Angeles schools.
The 74 further reported that Kerr had established professional ties with Carvalho during his tenure overseeing Florida schools, and that her son, who worked for AllHere, pitched the company's technology to Los Angeles school leaders after Carvalho assumed his position there.
Carvalho's Controversial Tenure and Previous Achievements
Carvalho arrived in Los Angeles during a critical period when the district was managing substantial COVID-19 relief funding while simultaneously addressing pandemic-related learning losses and declining enrollment. Over his five-year tenure, he received praise for improvements to academic performance within the district.
His previous leadership in Miami-Dade County earned him national recognition, including being named Superintendent of the Year in 2014 by the national superintendents association. Spain even knighted the Portugal-born administrator in 2021 for his work expanding Spanish-language programs in Miami-Dade schools.
Carvalho has also been known for his political activism, particularly as a vocal critic of the Trump administration's immigration policies and for publicly sparring with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over pandemic mask requirements in schools.
The Los Angeles school district released a statement confirming their cooperation with the federal investigation while emphasizing they have no additional information to share at this time. Meanwhile, Miami-Dade school officials acknowledged awareness of the investigation involving their former superintendent but declined to provide further comment.
