Alberto Carvalho, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, was placed on paid administrative leave on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, after Federal Bureau of Investigation agents executed search warrants at his residence and a district office earlier in the week. The board of education held consecutive emergency closed sessions and cited the need for stability for the district and its roughly 400,000 students. Federal affidavits in the matter remain under seal, leaving the precise target of the inquiry unclear, while people familiar with the investigation say it appears connected to a two-year-old probe of AllHere, a troubled education technology start-up that received a $6 million contract to build an AI chatbot. The district says it is cooperating with investigators as the matter develops.
Key Takeaways
- Alberto Carvalho was placed on paid administrative leave by LAUSD on Feb. 27, 2026, after FBI agents raided his home and a district office earlier this week.
- The probe appears linked to a two-year-old criminal investigation into AllHere, which had received a $6 million contract to develop an AI chatbot for LAUSD before collapsing amid fraud charges.
- Federal agents also searched the Florida home of consultant Debra Kerr on Wednesday, and agents seized Carvalho’s work phone and other devices, according to district officials.
- The AllHere CEO was criminally charged after the company’s collapse; court filings show prosecutors and defense lawyers have postponed prosecution to discuss a potential disposition.
- Trustees said they convened emergency closed sessions to preserve operational stability for about 400,000 students served by the district while the inquiry continues.
Background
Alberto Carvalho has led the Los Angeles Unified School District since 2022, after more than 13 years as superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. LAUSD is the nation’s second-largest district, serving approximately 400,000 students across dozens of campuses and complex procurement needs. Over recent years, school systems have increasingly contracted with private technology vendors for services including digital learning platforms and chatbots, raising questions about vetting, oversight and procurement safeguards.
The AllHere matter dates to roughly 2024, when investigators began a criminal inquiry into the start-up’s dealings that culminated in fraud charges against its chief executive and the company’s collapse. AllHere had been contracted to build an artificial-intelligence chatbot intended to support LAUSD operations and communications, a deal valued at $6 million. Debra Kerr, a consultant who linked vendors with school districts and worked in education marketing, has been identified in filings and reporting as a longtime associate of Carvalho dating to his Miami tenure.
Main Event
According to district officials, FBI agents served search warrants at Carvalho’s home and at a LAUSD office earlier in the week, with those actions occurring two days before the board’s Friday decision to place him on leave. Agents reportedly seized a work phone and other electronic devices during the searches, which the district says it is providing to investigators. Because federal affidavits in the case are sealed, LAUSD trustees and district officials have declined to describe the specifics of the evidence or the investigation’s immediate focus in public statements.
People familiar with the inquiry told reporters the AllHere probe appears to have broadened to examine connections between AllHere, Ms. Kerr and Mr. Carvalho that may span his time in Miami as well as his service in Los Angeles. Court records show the AllHere CEO was criminally charged and that the prosecution has been postponed while lawyers discuss a possible disposition, though those filings do not name Carvalho as a defendant. District leaders said they sought to minimize operational disruption for schools and students while the legal process proceeds.
LAUSD issued a brief statement saying the district is cooperating with federal authorities and that trustees acted to ensure stability. The board’s closed-session meetings, held back-to-back this week, culminated in the administrative-leave decision, which places Carvalho on paid leave pending the outcome of the inquiry or further board action. Carvalho did not immediately respond to media requests for comment, and federal officials have not publicly identified a target because of sealed filings.
Analysis & Implications
The removal of a superintendent in a district the size of LAUSD carries immediate managerial and reputational consequences. Operationally, districts depend on continuity of leadership for budgeting, labor negotiations and student services; an abrupt administrative change can slow decision-making and contractual oversight. For a district with roughly 400,000 students, even short-term uncertainty can complicate procurement rollouts, technology integrations and vendor relationship management.
The apparent connection to a tech vendor and an AI contract highlights a growing policy challenge: school systems are rapidly adopting digital tools without long-standing regulatory frameworks for algorithmic oversight, data governance or conflict-of-interest safeguards. A $6 million contract for an AI chatbot is modest compared with some district budgets, but the case raises broader questions about how vendors are selected, how conflicts are disclosed, and how districts ensure vendor accountability when products are novel or rushed into service.
Legally, sealed federal affidavits limit public understanding of investigators’ theories and evidence, so many implications remain speculative until filings become unsealed or charges are announced. If investigators expand the case beyond AllHere’s executives, it could trigger additional inquiries into procurement practices in multiple districts and prompt calls for more transparent bidding processes. Politically, the episode may intensify scrutiny from school boards, local officials and state lawmakers over executive oversight and vendor relationships.
Comparison & Data
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Alberto Carvalho assumes leadership of LAUSD |
| ~2024 | Federal criminal probe into AllHere begins (approximate, described as two years old) |
| Feb. 25–26, 2026 | FBI searches of Carvalho’s home and a LAUSD office (occurring earlier in the week of Feb. 27) |
| Feb. 27, 2026 | LAUSD places Carvalho on paid administrative leave following emergency board sessions |
The timeline above synthesizes reporting and public filings: Carvalho became LAUSD superintendent in 2022, the AllHere inquiry dates to about 2024, federal searches occurred earlier in the week prior to Feb. 27, 2026, and the board acted on Feb. 27 to place Carvalho on leave. The court docket for the AllHere prosecution shows charges against the company’s chief executive and a postponement of the trial while attorneys discuss a potential disposition, but those filings remain separate from the sealed affidavits that informed the recent searches.
Reactions & Quotes
“The board’s action is intended to preserve stability for the district while federal authorities conduct their work,”
LAUSD Board of Education (official statement)
“Because affidavits are sealed, the public cannot yet know the full scope or the specific target of the investigation,”
Federal court records (sealed filings)
“This case underscores the urgent need for clearer procurement rules and stronger oversight when schools contract for AI-driven products,”
Education policy expert (academic analysis)
Unconfirmed
- It remains unconfirmed whether federal investigators have formally identified Alberto Carvalho as the subject of the sealed affidavits; public filings are sealed.
- Reports indicate the AllHere probe may have been expanded to examine relationships that span Carvalho’s Miami and Los Angeles tenures, but those connections are not publicly corroborated in unsealed filings.
- Details about the specific documents or communications seized from Carvalho’s devices have not been disclosed by authorities.
Bottom Line
LAUSD’s decision to place Alberto Carvalho on paid administrative leave reflects both the seriousness of an active federal inquiry and the board’s stated priority of maintaining stability for nearly 400,000 students. With key affidavits sealed and limited public information about investigative targets, many concrete questions will depend on whether prosecutors unseal filings or bring additional charges.
The case draws attention to the governance challenges that arise when school systems rapidly adopt technology from private vendors: procurement rigor, conflict-of-interest safeguards and oversight of AI tools are likely to be central policy discussions in the aftermath. For now, LAUSD’s operations will be under heightened scrutiny, and stakeholders will watch closely for further disclosures from federal authorities or the district.