L.A. School Superintendent Resigns Months After FBI Raided His Home
Alberto Carvalho, the superintendent of America’s second-largest school district, has resigned amid an FBI investigation related to a district contract awarded to an AI company that later collapsed under the weight of fraud charges.
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Carvalho, who has served as superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) since 2022, was placed on leave in February by the LAUSD Board of Education. The decision came two days after the FBI conducted searches at the school district headquarters and Carvalho’s home.
The FBI probe into Carvalho is related to a $6 million contract the district signed in 2023 with AllHere, a technology company founded in 2016 that specialized in the implementation of AI tools in education. A longtime friend of Carvalho’s, Debra Kerr, worked as a consultant for AllHere at the time the contract was signed, the New York Times reported.
After signing the contract, Carvalho began to assist the company in promoting its products, specifically an AI chatbot named “Ed.” Carvalho introduced “Ed” in March 2024. He said the chatbot was designed to assist parents, teachers, and students by providing easy access to resources in subject areas like education and mental health.
In August 2024, AllHere filed for bankruptcy, and the LAUSD backed out of its contract as the company fell apart. Soon after, its founder and CEO Joanna Smith-Griffin faced charges of fraud and aggravated identity theft. Smith-Griffin, who is facing a possible 42-year prison sentence, is still in discussion with prosecutors to settle the case.
In the meantime, the LAUSD has attempted to carry on as usual. Acting superintendent Andrés Chait will continue to serve as superintendent until more decisions are made regarding next steps.
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“The Board remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring stability, continuity, and continued progress through strong leadership,” the LAUSD Board said in a comment on its website. “Our focus remains unchanged: providing every student with a high-quality education, supporting our dedicated workforce, and maintaining the trust of the communities we serve.”
As superintendent of the second largest school district in the country, Carvalho has used his platform to advocate for progressive immigration policy. Carvalho, who himself came to the U.S. illegally, has accused Immigration and Customs Enforcement of acting in a way that is “immoral, unethical, and illegal.”
“Despite the injustice. Despite the fear. Despite the pressure. Despite the unbearable lack of humanity. Our kids are soaring,” Carvalho said during a news conference last year. “And for the second year in a row, these students have provided best-in-class achievement across all grade levels.”
Los Angeles students have conducted several walkouts to protest ICE, during which they’ve burned American flags and vandalized buildings.
The district has taken a conciliatory approach to student protest.
Before taking the superintendent job in Los Angeles, Carvalho served as superintendent for the Miami-Dade County School District for 14 years.
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His contract with the LAUSD was not set to expire until 2030.
