LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho placed on administrative leave after FBI raid
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation after the FBI raided his home and the district's office earlier in the week.
The decision comes after LAUSD's board members voted unanimously on Friday. The board issued a statement Friday afternoon that said, in part:
"The Board's action was taken to ensure the District's leadership remains focused on the mission of providing world-class teaching and learning in the classroom. While we understand the need for information, we cannot discuss the specifics of this matter pending investigation."
The board also said that Andres Chait, who currently serves as LAUSD Chief of School Operations, will now serve as LAUSD acting superintendent.
"Today's action is aimed at fulfilling our promise to students and families to provide an excellent public education without distraction," Board President Scott M. Schmerelson said. "Andres Chait is a highly regarded leader and educator, and we are lucky to have him step in seamlessly to oversee our schools. Over the past several years, our educators and students have made enormous strides, and we expect that progress to continue unimpeded."
"I am humbled by the Board's confidence in appointing me to serve as Acting Superintendent during this critical time," Chait said. "Our focus remains clear: to ensure stability, continuity, and strong leadership for our students, families, and employees."
The board reconvened at 12:30 p.m. as it continued deliberations on the future of Carvalho after being unable to reach a decision Thursday.
The meeting was open for public comment, but only a few addressed the FBI investigation directly.
The district said in a statement Wednesday that it "is cooperating with the investigation and we do not have further information at this time."
AIR7 video on Wednesday morning showed agents in FBI shirts and jackets carrying items out of Carvalho's home in San Pedro. Neighbors said the school superintendent and his wife were handcuffed and detained during the search.
Some of Carvalho's neighbors expressed concern that the raids may be a form of intimidation.
"I hope that they're OK and I hope that he didn't do anything wrong and everything turns out OK," said San Pedro resident Pete Fabazzo.
"He doesn't deserve this," neighbor John Schafer said. "If he did something wrong, there's a due process. And that's part of the problem -- everybody gets convicted before they do anything."
Raul Claros, the director of the nonprofit California Rising, is calling for Carvalho to step down, at least temporarily.
"It's a big cloud; it's an FBI cloud. Especially during this time right now, with this climate in politics coming from the federal level to Los Angeles, this is not what we need right now," Claros said.
FBI search at Florida home tied to LAUSD case
Federal authorities have not provided details of the nature of the investigation involving the nation's second-largest school district. The FBI also searched a third location near Miami, where Carvalho previously led the public schools.
The Miami Herald reported the Florida home 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, Joanna Smith-Griffin, was indicted for fraud.
Kerr's home is in Southwest Ranches, about 25 miles north of Miami. Kerr describes herself on her LinkedIn page as a business and education consultant.
She posted a photo with Carvalho on her LinkedIn page three years ago after what she referred to as a "brilliant" address by the superintendent.
Bankruptcy filings show Kerr claims she is owed $630,000 from AllHere.
AllHere collapsed two years ago after its owner was accused of fraud and using company funds to pay for a house and a wedding. That indictment happened after LAUSD paid AllHere nearly $3 million to develop a chatbot aimed at being a personal assistant for students and parents.
ABC7 did try reaching out to both Kerr and Carvalho but has not heard back from either.
Sources tell ABC News the federal investigation centers around an alleged white-collar crime.
Carvalho's path from Miami to LAUSD
Over the past five years in Los Angeles, Carvalho has been lauded for the district's improvements to academic performance. He won similar praise while overseeing Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida's largest school district, where the national superintendents association named him Superintendent of the Year in 2014.
Spain knighted the Portugal-born administrator in 2021 for his work in expanding Spanish-language programs for Miami-Dade County schools.
Months later, Carvalho took the job in California and became a harsh critic of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown, especially following raids in Los Angeles last year.
Carvalho arrived in Los Angeles at a critical moment, as the district found itself flush with funding from state and federal COVID-19 relief money but still struggling with the impacts of the pandemic, including learning losses and declining enrollment. He previously sparred with Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis over his order that schools not require masks during the pandemic.
The Miami-Dade school system said in a statement that it was aware of the investigation involving Carvalho but did not have any comment at this time.
This is a developing story. This article will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
