Embattled LAUSD Superintendent Resigns Amid FBI Probe

LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho resigned Sunday night, four months after his home and office were raided by federal authorities.

Carvalho’s resignation was effective June 21, the district’s Board of Education said Monday.

“Placing students first has always guided my work,” Carvalho wrote in his resignation letter, according to the Los Angeles Times. “Because I believe our schools must remain focused on students and learning without distraction, I am resigning as superintendent of LAUSD effective today.”

The school board said it had received Carvalho’s resignation and would focus on keeping the district stable.

“The board remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring stability, continuity, and continued progress through strong leadership,” the board said in a statement.

In February, FBI agents searched Carvalho’s homes in San Pedro and Florida, as well as LAUSD offices, in connection to the district's failed efforts around an education -focused artificial intelligence chatbot.

Two days later, the school board placed Carvalho on paid administrative leave.

The Los Angeles Times reported the federal investigation is tied at least in part to Carvalho’s interactions with a subcontractor connected to AllHere, the company behind the district's AI project. Carvalho previously said through his attorneys that he committed no wrongdoing.

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.

Federal authorities have not revealed any details about the nature of the investigation and have not charged Carvalho with any crime.

Carvalho was selected as superintendent in December 2021 and led the district through academic recovery efforts, labor disputes, a cyberattack and other major challenges.

The resignation is a departure from Carvalho's previous stance: In March, he said he wanted to return to work at the district.

Andrés Chait will remain acting superintendent until a permanent decision is made, the board said. Chait was named to the post by the board after it voted in February to place Carvalho on administrative leave.

Material from the Associated Press and City News Service was used in this report.