LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho Resigns Following Months of Leave and FBI Probe Into Defunct AI Venture

LOS ANGELES — In a dramatic climax to a months-long federal investigation, embattled Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho officially submitted his resignation. The departure of the prominent educational leader, effective Monday, June 22, 2026, marks the end of a high-profile four-year tenure that abruptly derailed earlier this year under the weight of an active FBI probe into a failed technology contract.

The Fallout of a Failed Tech Venture

At the heart of the federal investigation is the district’s ill-fated foray into artificial intelligence. In 2024, Carvalho aggressively championed and launched a heavily publicized AI-powered chatbot named "Ed." The digital platform was designed to serve as a comprehensive personal assistant for the district's 520,000 students and their families, allowing them to track grades, monitor attendance, and access individualized learning resources.

The initiative quickly turned from a marquee achievement into an operational and legal disaster:

• The Contract: LAUSD secured a $6 million development agreement with a Boston-based educational technology startup called AllHere.

• The Payout: Financial audits indicate the school district distributed roughly $3 million in upfront taxpayer funds to the company before the tech platform could fully launch.

• The Collapse: Within months of the contract being finalized, AllHere suffered a total financial collapse, laying off its workforce and leaving the "Ed" platform fundamentally non-functional.

• The Criminal Charges: The company’s founder and former CEO, Joanna Smith-Griffin, was subsequently arrested and indicted by federal authorities on severe charges of securities fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft for allegedly defrauding investors and misrepresenting the company's financial health.

Federal Raids and Leadership Transition

The legal crisis escalated directly to the superintendent's doorstep on February 25, 2026, when FBI field agents executed coordinated federal search warrants. Law enforcement personnel raided Carvalho's primary residence in San Pedro, California, a secondary property in Southwest Ranches, Florida, and his executive suite at the LAUSD administrative headquarters.

Two days following the dramatic raids, the LAUSD Board of Education voted unanimously to place Carvalho on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, instantly elevating longtime district administrator Andrés E. Chait to serve as acting superintendent. While Carvalho has not been formally charged with any criminal wrongdoing and has consistently maintained his innocence, the cloud of the ongoing federal probe rendered his continued leadership entirely untenable as a new summer school session got underway.

Carvalho addressed his sudden exit in a formal resignation letter transmitted to school board members on Sunday evening, explicitly positioning his departure as a move to shield the classroom from administrative controversy.

"Placing students first has always guided my work," Carvalho wrote. "Because I believe our schools must remain focused on students and learning without distraction, I am resigning as superintendent of LAUSD. Over the past four years, together, we have made historic progress — gains that belong to our students, our educators, staff, and our communities."

Stability and Next Steps for LAUSD

Following receipt of the resignation letter, the Board of Education released a unified public statement reinforcing its commitment to operational stability. Board members emphasized that the district's underlying mission remains completely unaffected by the executive vacancy, noting that their primary focus remains centered on supporting their massive workforce and preserving the public trust.

Acting Superintendent Andrés E. Chait, a seasoned educator who climbed the ranks from a kindergarten teacher to principal and Chief of School Operations, will continue to steer the massive district indefinitely. Chait, whose family immigrated to the United States from Chile in the 1980s, utilized his initial address to reassure the city's vulnerable student populations, stating that the district's aggressive legal protections and "safe zones" for undocumented immigrant families will remain strictly enforced despite the administrative turnover. The school board has not yet announced a timeline or formalized a committee to initiate a nationwide search for a permanent superintendent.

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