Los Angeles school superintendent denies wrongdoing and asks for his job back during federal probe

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The superintendent of Los Angeles public schools who's on paid leave during a federal investigation released a statement Wednesday denying any wrongdoing and asking to be reinstated as head of the nation’s second-largest district.

The FBI served search warrants on Feb. 25 at Alberto Carvalho's home and the LA Unified School District's headquarters. Two days later, the district's Board of Education voted unanimously to place him on leave pending the outcome of the probe.

“Mr. Carvalho remains confident that the evidence will ultimately demonstrate that he acted appropriately and in the best interests of students,” said the statement, attributed to a spokesperson and distributed by Holland & Knight, the law firm representing him. “We hope the school board reinstates him promptly to his position as superintendent.”

Authorities have not provided details of the nature of the investigation involving the district, which serves more than 500,000 students, nor have they accused Carvalho of any crimes.

The FBI also searched a third location near Miami. The Miami Herald reported the Florida property belonged to Debra Kerr, who previously worked with AllHere, an education technology company that had a contract with Los Angeles schools before it collapsed and its leader was indicted for fraud.

In 2024, Carvalho heavily touted a deal with AllHere for an AI chatbot named “Ed” designed to help students. But about three months after unveiling the technology and paying the company $3 million, the district dropped its dealings with AllHere, which collapsed into bankruptcy. Months later, founder Joanna Smith-Griffin was charged with securities and wire fraud, along with identity theft.

At the time, Carvalho denied personal involvement in the selection of AllHere, according to the Los Angeles Times. Wednesday's statement was his first comment since last month's searches.

“Mr. Carvalho respects the rule of law and the investigative process and has always acted in the best interests of students and within the bounds of the law,” the statement said. “While the government’s investigation remains ongoing, no evidence has been presented by prosecutors supporting any allegation that Mr. Carvalho violated federal law.”

Following the search of school headquarters, LA Unified said it was cooperating with investigators and had no further information.

The board said its decision to place Carvalho on leave was intended to minimize any disruption to its mission of teaching students. Andres Chait, the chief of school operations, was named acting superintendent.

Carvalho became superintendent for LA in 2022. He previously led the public schools in Miami.