U.S. News

The Head of LA’s School District Resigned After the FBI Raided His Home and Office

By Mike Harper · June 22, 2026

Alberto Carvalho ran the second-largest school district in America. On a Sunday night in June, he quit.

Carvalho, who had been on paid administrative leave since February, submitted his resignation letter to the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education effective June 21. His departure comes nearly four months after FBI agents served search warrants at his $2.5 million San Pedro home, at LAUSD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles, and at a third property near Miami linked to the investigation.

“It has been a great honor to serve you,” Carvalho wrote in a letter addressed to students, families, teachers, and staff. He said he resigned so that schools could remain focused on students “without distraction.” He made no mention of the FBI investigation.

The investigation is connected to AllHere, a now-defunct education technology company that landed a $6 million contract with LAUSD in 2024 to build an AI-powered chatbot called “Ed”. Carvalho personally championed the project and promoted it publicly. Three months after the chatbot launched, AllHere collapsed into bankruptcy. The district had already paid $3 million in advance. AllHere’s founder, Joanna Smith-Griffin, was subsequently arrested and charged with securities fraud, wire fraud, and identity theft.

Carvalho has not been charged with any crime. His attorneys at Holland & Knight have said he “acted appropriately and in the best interests of students.” But the FBI’s interest extends beyond the chatbot.

A source told CBS News that the investigation predates the Trump administration and centers on allegations that Carvalho may have received kickbacks from a business during his previous tenure as superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. That means LA taxpayers were paying his $440,000 annual salary while federal agents investigated conduct that allegedly occurred in another state.

The February raid was dramatic. Agents armed with long rifles arrived at the San Pedro home before dawn. Carvalho and his wife Maria were handcuffed and placed in the back of a vehicle while agents searched the property, seizing cellphones, computers, and paper documents. Staff at LAUSD headquarters were ordered to leave while a separate team conducted its search there.

Two days later, the Board of Education voted 7-0 to place him on leave. He has been collecting his salary since.

Carvalho arrived in Los Angeles in 2022 after 14 years leading Miami-Dade schools, where he was named Superintendent of the Year in 2014. His contract was renewed last year. Whether his resignation includes a negotiated financial settlement with the district has not been disclosed.

Acting Superintendent Andrés Chait will remain in the role. The board has not announced a timeline for selecting a permanent replacement.