Carvalho’s denials came after the FBI served search warrants on Feb. 25 at his home and at the Los Angeles Unified School District’s headquarters, leaving the superintendent on paid leave while the federal inquiry proceeds. In a statement released Wednesday, Carvalho sought to return to his role as superintendent of the district, which educates more than 500,000 students.
“Mr. Carvalho remains confident that the evidence will ultimately demonstrate that he acted appropriately and in the best interests of students,” a statement attributed to a spokesperson and distributed by Holland & Knight, the law firm representing him, said. “We hope the school board reinstates him promptly to his position as superintendent.”
The statement also said 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.” It added that “While the government’s investigation remains ongoing, no evidence has been presented by prosecutors supporting any allegation that Mr. Carvalho violated federal law.”
The federal agents also searched a third location near Miami, according to reporting cited in the Associated Press story. The Miami Herald reported that the Florida property 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 whose leader was indicted for fraud.
In 2024, Carvalho touted a deal with AllHere for an AI chatbot named “Ed” meant to help students. About three months after the district paid the company $3 million and unveiled the technology, Los Angeles Unified ended its dealings with AllHere, which later filed for bankruptcy, the report said. Months afterward, founder Joanna Smith-Griffin was charged with securities and wire fraud, along with identity theft.
Authorities have not publicly described the nature of the federal investigation involving Los Angeles Unified or whether prosecutors have alleged any crimes by Carvalho. After the FBI’s search of school headquarters, the district said it was cooperating with investigators and had no further information.
The Los Angeles school board’s action to place Carvalho on leave was intended, the report said, to minimize disruption to the district’s “mission of teaching students.” The board named Andres Chait, the chief of school operations, as acting superintendent while Carvalho remains out of the job during the inquiry. Carvalho became superintendent for Los Angeles Unified in 2022 and previously led public schools in Miami.