FBI Executes Search Warrants at LAUSD Chief's Home and Office
FBI searched Superintendent Alberto Carvalho's home, LAUSD headquarters and a Florida residence in a federal probe; authorities declined to give details.
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Overview
FBI agents served judicially approved search warrants at Superintendent Alberto Carvalho's San Pedro home, at Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters, and at a residence in Southwest Ranches, Florida, officials confirmed.
Authorities have not disclosed the nature of the probe, which follows the district's 2024 dealings with AI company AllHere and past Miami controversies including a $1.57 million donation tied to a nonprofit Carvalho founded.
The LA Board of Education scheduled a closed special meeting Thursday to discuss the superintendent, and the district said it is cooperating with the investigation and had no further information.
Carvalho leads the nation's second-largest district of about 500,000 students, roughly 30,000 of whom are immigrants, and he previously led Miami-Dade for 14 years and received honors in 2014 and 2021.
No charges have been filed, and Carvalho has denied personal involvement in the AllHere selection; the company's founder, Joanna Smith-Griffin, was later charged with securities and wire fraud and identity theft.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame Carvalho sympathetically by leading with accomplishments and immigrant backstory, using affirming terms like 'reputation' and 'lauded', and foregrounding his responses. Controversies are included but quickly mitigated (inspector general found no violation; denials noted). Omission of detailed critical voices and FBI specifics narrows the narrative.
FAQ
The investigation is reportedly connected to LAUSD's $3 million contract with AI company AllHere, which collapsed in 2024 after its founder was charged with fraud; a source indicated the probe relates to AllHere, and federal investigators have scrutinized its bankruptcy filings.
FBI agents searched Carvalho's home in San Pedro, Los Angeles; LAUSD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles; and a residence in Southwest Ranches, Broward County, Florida.
In early 2024, LAUSD launched 'Ed,' an AI chatbot developed by AllHere for $3 million; the project ended in June 2024 when AllHere collapsed, with founder Joanna Smith-Griffin charged with securities fraud, wire fraud, and identity theft.
LAUSD is cooperating with the investigation, stated that teaching and learning continue uninterrupted, and the Board of Education held a closed special meeting on Thursday to discuss the superintendent's employment, later delaying any decision.
Carvalho has led LAUSD, the nation's second-largest district with about 500,000 students, since 2022 after 14 years as superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools; he received honors like 2014 National Superintendent of the Year.
