Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho was placed on administrative leave Friday days after his home and office were searched by FBI agents this week.
The decision came unanimously from the LAUSD Board of Education, which has been holding meetings.
The paid administrative leave went into effect immediately Friday afternoon.
The board said the action was taken swiftly to ensure the district’s leadership “remains focused on the mission of providing world-class teaching and learning in the classroom.”
“Today’s action is aimed at fulfilling our promise to students and families to provide an excellent public education without distraction,” Board President Scott M. Schmerelson said.
Andres Chait will serve as the interim superintendent of the LAUSD. Source: LAUSD
Andres Chait, current Chief School of Operations with the distrct, will be serving as the interim superintended.
Chait, a 27-year veteran with the district, was described as a “highly regarded leader and educator.”
“I am humbled by the Board’s confidence in appointing me to serve as Acting Superintendent during this critical time,” Acting Superintendent Andres Chait said. “Our focus remains clear: to ensure stability, continuity, and strong leadership for our students, families, and employees.”
Chait is a graduate of the California State University, Los Angeles and UC Berkeley.
Federal authorities have not provided details about what they’re investigating and why they served search warrants Wednesday at Carvalho’s home in San Pedro, his office at LAUSD headquarters and a house near Miami, Florida.
No arrests have been reported in connection with the federal investigation.
On Wednesday, the district’s Board of Education issued a joint statement about the searches.
“The LAUSD Board of Education understands that today’s news has raised questions across our school communities,” the board said in the statement. “The Board’s priority remains ensuring that our students, families, and employees experience a safe and welcoming learning environment. Teaching and learning continue across our schools. Los Angeles Unified continues to stay focused on our responsibility to serve students and our families.”
While the FBI stayed mum about the searches at Carvalho’s home and office, court records show federal prosecutors have a separate, ongoing fraud case against the CEO of the now-defunct education technology company called AllHere, which landed a $6 million contract with the district to provide an AI-powered chatbot called “Ed” two years ago.
When unveiling “Ed,” Carvalho touted that it would act as a personal assistant for students and parents. The chatbot was supposed to do multiple tasks, such as tracking grades and providing educational and mental health resources.
The investment fell apart and Joanna Smith-Griffin, the founder of AllHere, was arrested and charged with securities, wire fraud and identity theft. By the time the AI deal collapsed, the LAUSD had reportedly paid AllHere $3 million in advance.
The Justice Department alleged in 2024 that Smith-Griffin, while misrepresenting the financial health of her tech company, obtained nearly $10 million from investors. Instead of using the money for her company and the chatbot, Smith-Griffin is accused of embezzling the corporate funds to put a down payment on her house in North Carolina and pay for her wedding.
Carvalho is not named in the investigation against Smith-Griffin.
The company eventually went bankrupt and laid off all employees.
Property records also show the Florida house searched in connection with the investigation belongs to a woman named Debra Kerr, who is linked to AllHere.Kerr had recently told a bankruptcy court that she is still owed a $630,000 commission for closing a $6 million AI software deal with the LAUSD.
Kerr is not mentioned in the investigation against Smith-Griffin.
The FBI search happened as federal authorities continue its probe into a failed tech start-up that landed a $6 million contract with the LAUSD. Eric Leonard and Alex Rozier report for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026.
Before arriving in Los Angeles, Carvalho headed the Miami-Dade County Public Schools for 14 years. Born in Portugal, Carvalho previously taught physics, chemistry and calculus in Miami and was later an assistant principal at Miami Jackson Senior High School.
This is a developing story.