LAUSD Supt. Carvalho breaks silence on FBI raid of his home, office

Alberto Carvalho, the embattled Los Angeles schools chief, in his first public statement since FBI raids at his home and district office on Feb. 25, has denied any wrongdoing and has asked to be returned to his duties.

Carvalho is currently on paid administrative leave, pending developments in the ongoing investigation.

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

Through his counsel, Carvalho also commented on the ongoing investigation.

“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.”

In other developments, The Times has learned, from multiple sources, additional details of what happened on the day of the search.

According to sources with knowledge of the investigation, Carvalho and his wife, Maria Florio Borgia Carvalho, opened their door on the early morning of Feb. 25, to the sight of agents with long rifles drawn. Both were placed in handcuffs and put in the back of a car while agents searched their home and took items listed in the search warrant.

These items included computers and cellphones as well as some paper documents.

The L.A. Board of Education voted 7 to 0 to place Carvalho on leave two days after the raid.

Simultaneously, agents were searching the 24th floor of district headquarters at 333 S. Beaudry Ave., just west of downtown. Sources told The Times that most of the employees were directed to leave their offices — including school board members and their staff. Only workers essential to the search could remain.

The district was represented by general counsel Devora Navera Reed as well as by an outside counsel who hurried to the scene.

Several people, including Carvalho and district lawyers, were able to review the search warrant — confirming that the search was related to AllHere — the failed company that led the project to create what the district touted as a groundbreaking AI chatbot.

Sources also indicate that Carvalho and his attorneys were given a copy of the warrant. Neither the warrant nor the underlying affidavit justifying the warrant has been released. Details of the affidavit have not so far come to light.

Read more: LAUSD Supt. Alberto Carvalho placed on paid leave following FBI raid of home, office

AllHere’s failed multimillion-dollar LAUSD chatbot initiative was supposed to revolutionize the ability of students to communicate about academics and other matters. The chatbot was never fully deployed and was unplugged three months after Carvalho unveiled it amid fanfare in March of 2024.

The Times has also learned that, soon after the collapse of AllHere in June of 2024, the district commissioned an outside law firm to investigate confidentially the procurement process that led to the company’s selection. According to sources, the firm found no red flags, but that review was narrow in its scope. It did not, for example, examine any potential ties between Carvalho and those promoting AllHere as a potential partner with the district.

In past interviews, Carvalho has denied exerting influence over the procurement process that led to the selection of AllHere.

So far, the district has declined to release any internally commissioned review. The district also has declined to release how much was spent on any such inquiry.

In his statement, Carvalho did not comment on the conduct of the raid. Nor did his attorneys respond to questions on that topic. Carvalho has not been charged with wrongdoing, nor have investigators made any public allegations against him.

After the search, according to a well-placed source, agents told Carvalho that he could resume his regular duties as superintendent of the nation’s second-largest school district. But this did not happen.

“Alberto Carvalho is a dedicated public servant committed to the students and families of the Los Angeles Unified School District,” the statement also said. “The achievements and success of the students, teachers, and staff of Los Angeles Unified remain his foremost focus, and he remains deeply committed to continuing the work of supporting students and families across the district. Mr. Carvalho also expresses his sincere gratitude to all those who have extended their well wishes and prayers.”

A Florida home owned by Debra Kerr, an education sales consultant, was also raided Feb. 25. Kerr formerly represented Boston-based AllHere, which declared bankruptcy amid allegations of defrauding investors.

Kerr has not been charged with wrongdoing. She has not responded to interview requests.

Kerr and Carvalho have known each other for years, dating back to his time as an education leader in Florida and the superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, before he came to L.A. in 2022.

Sources familiar with the inquiry have told The Times that grand jury subpoenas have been issued to individuals in Miami-Dade County Public Schools, seeking records from the district’s inspector general and the former Foundation for New Education Initiatives.

Read more: FBI scrutiny of Carvalho, LAUSD began with tip from N.Y. prosecutors examining fraud at AI firm

The foundation was a nonprofit organization overseen by Carvalho while he was serving in Miami. It is now called the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Foundation. In 2020 the Miami-Dade schools inspector general concluded that a $1.57-million donation Carvalho helped secure for the foundation — from a firm with a pending district contract — did not violate state or district ethics policies but created an appearance of impropriety.

AllHere founder and former Chief Executive Joanna Smith-Griffin was arrested in November 2024 and charged with securities fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. She has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges. She has not responded to interview requests.

At least one person associated with the transactions of the defunct tech company is cooperating with federal prosecutors, according to two sources familiar with the investigation.

According to court records, including testimony by Kerr in the AllHere bankruptcy proceeding, Kerr worked to help secure the contract between the firm and Los Angeles Unified. Kerr claims that AllHere owes her $630,000.

LAUSD paid AllHere $3 million before the company’s collapse for services that were provided.

Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.