Federal agents descended on the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) headquarters and the San Pedro home of Superintendent Alberto Carvalho on Wednesday, executing court-authorized search warrants in a dramatic escalation of scrutiny surrounding the district’s leadership.
According to FOX 11, the FBI confirmed agents were serving court-authorized warrants at both locations Wednesday morning. The bureau declined to share further details, citing court-sealed affidavits.
The raids come amid a series of mounting legal and financial controversies surrounding Carvalho and the district. A civil lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court accuses LAUSD of misusing $76.7 million in Proposition 28 funds, money voters approved in 2022 specifically to expand arts and music education by hiring new teachers. The suit alleges the district instead used those funds to cover existing staff salaries, a direct violation of the measure’s requirements.
As reported by The Current Report, Carvalho himself acknowledged the district’s use of Prop 28 money to cover existing staff, stating, “The district prioritized the use of Prop 28 funds to cover existing staff as well as hire new staff.” The lawsuit has drawn support from several major unions, including United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), Service Employees International Union Local 99, and Teamsters Local 572.
Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of UTLA, which represents roughly 35,000 LAUSD educators, has been vocal in her criticism. “The superintendent pulling out a bulletin saying, ‘Oops, my bad,’ doesn’t work,” she said. “I’m exasperated by the district’s lack of response and responsibility to providing arts educators for our babies and the communities in which we serve.”
Beyond the Prop 28 allegations, the district faces additional scrutiny. Records show 85% of LAUSD’s 142 middle schools submitted attendance records claiming perfect attendance, resulting in questioned tax expenditures exceeding $764,000. The district is also under fire for a $3 million chatbot system whose vendor is currently facing criminal fraud charges.
Prior to joining LAUSD, Carvalho led Miami-Dade County Public Schools. A September 2021 report from the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Office of the Inspector General found that $6 million earmarked for drivers and special education was misallocated under his leadership. A separate inspector general review also raised concerns that his oversight of a nonprofit foundation gave the “appearance of impropriety” in connection with donations.
In a separate and unrelated matter, Carvalho made headlines earlier this year when he publicly opposed federal agents who attempted to access two South Los Angeles elementary schools. According to FOX 11, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said its officers visited the campuses to conduct wellness checks on unaccompanied migrant children, not for immigration enforcement. Carvalho pushed back forcefully, drawing on his own experience as an undocumented immigrant who arrived in the United States at 17. “I will put my job on the line easily, as I have done on the East Coast, in protection of our students,” he said.
Wednesday’s raids represent a significant development in the ongoing legal and financial questions surrounding LAUSD’s leadership. Because the search warrant affidavits are sealed, the full scope of the federal investigation remains unknown. No charges have been announced. This is a developing story.
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