Recent march highlights threats from India in U.S.
By Mike Kai Chen | NPR
Published November 2, 2024 7:38 AM
Marchers walk the last 3 miles from Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Temple to the California State Capital after a 300 mile journey starting all the way from Bakersfield.
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For three weeks in October, a group of Sikhs have walked 350 miles up the spine of California’s Central Valley. The events commemorate a Sikh massacre that happened in India 40 years ago and call attention to growing threats the Sikh community says has followed them here.
About Callifornia's Sikh community: Sikhs have been farming in the Central Valley for over a century, but many fled here in the years after 1984. Jakara’s executive director, Naindeep Singh, says they intentionally traced the old 99 freeway that Cesar Chavez and the farmworkers walked during their 1966 strike.
A growing threat: Within the last year, two Indian nationals have been indicted, one of them a former Indian intelligence officer, for assassinations of Sikh activists. These incidents are both examples of alleged Transnational Repression, known as TNR. The FBI defines TNR as foreign governments working in the U.S. to silence, harass, or even kill people from the diaspora.
Why now: This year, Assemblywoman Jasmeet Bains, the first Sikh American elected to California state office, introduced legislation which aims to better track and explain Transnational Repression in California, including training local law enforcement on how to deal with the threats. However, the proposal of the bill was met with great opposition.
In the dirt path between a rural road and a persimmon orchard, around 30 people are walking, kicking up dust with each step. Children run towards the front of the march, where a group of older men with turbans and thick beards keep the pace at a steady clip.
For three weeks in October, a group of Sikhs — some joining for just an hour or a day — have walked 350 miles up the spine of California’s Central Valley, from Bakersfield to Sacramento. Stopping at Gurdwaras, or Sikh temples, along the way, they finished their journey on Friday, with a rally organizers say drew about 1,300 people at the state capitol. The events commemorate a Sikh massacre that happened in India 40 years ago. They also call attention to growing threats the Sikh community says has followed them here.
The Fearless for Justice march was organized by Jakara Movement, a Sikh advocacy group. Jakara’s executive director, Naindeep Singh, says they intentionally traced the old 99 freeway that Cesar Chavez and the farmworkers walked during their 1966 strike.
Sikhs have been farming in the Central Valley for over a century, but many fled here in the years after 1984. That is when former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi sent the army to occupy the Golden Temple, the holiest of Sikh sites, to rout out separatists who were agitating for their own Sikh state, a place they called Khalistan. In response, Gandhi’s Sikh bodyguards assassinated her. What followed were anti-Sikh riots that killed thousands, and a decades-long effort by the Indian government to stamp out an armed Sikh insurgency.
Last year, the California Legislature recognized what happened in 1984 as a genocide. A federal resolution to make the same recognition was introduced this month in Congress.
“My mom came to Modesto from Punjab in 1984, you know?” says Jakara’s Samirpreet Singh. “She lived through that.”
He says many younger Sikhs grew up in the shadow of that trauma.
“They left India to find protection here, to find peace here and now that same government they fled is sending folks here to the U.S. and Canada to essentially assassinate those same folks' children and grandchildren.”
Members of the Sikh community pray at the closing event at the California State Capital where the 300 mile march concluding starting from Bakersfield.
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A moral comprised of photos of the victims of the 1984 Sikh Genocide at the California State Capital. Sacramento, California. November 1, 2024. The Jakara Movement’s powerful "Nirbhau & Niyaa Morcha" (Fearless for Justice March), a 24-day, 350-mile on foot march from Bakersfield to Sacramento commemorates 40 years since the 1984 Sikh Genocide.
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A growing threat: Transnational repression
In Canada last year, a Sikh activist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was assassinated in a Gurdwara parking lot. Canada alleges that India’s Interior minister, who is also the chief aide to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was behind the murder. In New York last year, the FBI says it stopped another assassination plot against a prominent Sikh activist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannum. Two Indian nationals have been indicted, one of them a former Indian intelligence officer. India denies involvement in either case.
These incidents are both examples of alleged Transnational Repression, known as TNR. The FBI defines TNR as foreign governments working in the U.S. to silence, harass, or even kill people from the diaspora.
Standing in the Ceres Gurdwara after a long day of walking, Simarpreet Singh says it’s a scary time to be a Sikh. “We have evidence that the Indian government is going around literally naming people who are in this building today, calling them things like 'they're a terrorist,' because we represent something that they are trying to repress.”
Marchers, Amarjit Singh, center, and Karnail Singh, right, pray at Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Temple before finishing the last 3 miles of their 300 mile march to California State Capital all the way from Bakersfield.
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Both the assassination and the alleged assassination attempt were made on members of the group Sikhs for Justice. Earlier this year, someone fired at a car on a California highway. The three men inside were members of that same Sikh group, though the incident is still under investigation. Sikhs for Justice continues to advocate for an independent Sikh state of Khalistan. The Indian government says they are terrorists, but the group says they are activists who are using peaceful and legal means in a fight for Sikh self determination. That includes an ongoing non-binding referendum where Sikhs are voting to show support for a Khalistani state. But it isn’t just Sikh separatists facing threats, says Assemblywoman Jasmeet Bains, the first Sikh American elected to California state office.
“This is an attempt by the Indian government to annihilate and destroy an entire community,” she says.
This year Bains introduced legislation which aims to better track and explain Transnational Repression in California, including training local law enforcement on how to deal with the threats.
“Right now there are attempts by the Indian government to silence and to push back against the freedom of speech that is being carried out by Sikh Americans,” she says. Critics of the Indian government say democracy is faltering under Modi and his Hindu Nationalist government, which they say attacks and marginalizes other minority groups and religions, including Sikhs and Muslims.
Sacramento Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains speaks at the closing ceremony of the Fearless for Justice March at the California State Capital.
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Members of the Sikh community pray at the closing event at the California State Capital where the 300 mile march concluding starting from Bakersfield.
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Opposition to the Transnational Repression bill
After proposing the bill, Bains says she received death threats and other messages accusing her of protecting terrorists. She says the TNR bill was killed in committee after a flurry of opposition letters from Hindu advocacy organizations. They claimed that naming India in a list of countries engaged in TNR, would put a target on the backs of Hindu Americans. One of the opposing groups is CoHNA -- or the Coalition of Hindus in North America. “Anti-India hate or laws, if they came to be, would be used as a cover for anti-Hindu hate,” says CoHNA’s Pushpita Prasad.
After proposing the bill, Bains says she received death threats and other messages accusing her of protecting terrorists. She says the TNR bill was killed in committee after a flurry of opposition letters from Hindu advocacy organizations. They claimed that naming India in a list of countries engaged in TNR, would put a target on the backs of Hindu Americans. One of the opposing groups is CoHNA -- or the Coalition of Hindus in North America. “Anti-India hate or laws, if they came to be, would be used as a cover for anti-Hindu hate,” says CoHNA’s Pushpita Prasad.
Prasad points to a spate of vandalism incidents at Hindu temples across the Bay Area last year, including graffiti that called the Indian prime minister a terrorist, and said “Khalistan Zinzabad” -- which means “long live Khalistan.”
Prasad says hate towards Hindus has been largely ignored by the media and law enforcement. She worries that naming India as a country engaged in TNR could be used against her and groups like CoHNA.
Kamaljit Kaur, a volunteer of the Jakara Movement, poses for a portrait in front of a moral of the victims of the 1984 Sikh Genocide at the California State Capital.
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“We know that they won't go after people who attack Hindus, but they might start coming after Hindus who are advocating for equal treatment and human rights for Hindus, because whatever I say could be twisted into saying, ‘oh, I'm an agent of this and that.’”
Bains says that is not how the bill would work.
“This bill didn't call out any religion or dialect, it called out a country,” she says. “India belongs to a lot of different religions and dialects and ethnicities, not just one.”
Bains plans to reintroduce the TNR bill next session. In September, Congressman Adam Schiff introduced the federal Stop Transnational Repression Reporting Act, after the 2023 attempted assassination of Pannun.
Members of the Sikh community pray at the closing event at the California State Capital.
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A meeting and an accusation
Naindeep Singh, who helped organize the Fearless for Justice march, says the fight against TNR and other kinds of suppression of Sikh activism has become deeply personal in the last year. Singh says neither Jakara Movement nor he advocate for Khalistan, an independent Sikh state -- although he supports the right of others to speak out for that cause.
Singh was born and raised in Fresno, where he’s an elected school board member. He recalls learning about a meeting that happened last fall – a meeting he wasn’t at, but where his name was mentioned.
The meeting was between a group of Hindu residents, the Fresno mayor and then-police chief, Paco Balderama.
“I do recall meeting with a group in the fall of 2023,” Balderrama tells NPR.
Balderrama says during his tenure as police chief it was common to meet with representatives from Fresno’s diverse communities. What was uncommon were the accusations being made in this meeting -- that Singh and two other prominent local Sikh community members were somehow involved in criminal activity, even potentially violent. He says he felt like he was being pushed to investigate them.
“There’s no smoking gun,” Balderrama says. “I'm not going to go out there and go after these three people that they named because simply -- I don't have enough information to say that they've committed any crime.”
He says back then he didn’t understand the tensions between some in the Hindu and Sikh communities.
“Now, understanding the political impact that it has, you know, I maybe see a reason for them coming forward and saying, hey, ‘they did this’ when maybe they didn't,” Balderrama says.
Earlier this year another Hindu advocacy group, the Hindu American Foundation or HAF held a training on Hinduphobia for some California police chiefs and DA’s. According to HAF’s LinkedIn, some representatives from the Justice Department and Homeland Security were also there. HAF’s training material calls Sikhs for Justice a hate group, and suggests law enforcement “monitor the social media platforms for US-based groups and individuals with ties to Khalistan terror groups who advocate violence and fundraise in furtherance of Khalistan." They also ask law enforcement to "investigate Khalistan attacks against Hindu temples and devotees as hate crimes." In a public statement, leading Sikh advocates say the trainings push potential misinformation, adding that there is "no evidence that pro-Khalistan or Sikh individuals are responsible" for the vandalization of Hindu temples in California. HAF declined to comment for this story, and has strongly denied they have any connection to the Indian government.
Marchers pray at Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Temple before finishing the last 3 miles of their 300 mile march to California State Capital all the way from Bakersfield.
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Mike Kai Chen
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NPR
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Marchers walk the last 3 miles from Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Temple to the California State Capital after a 300 mile journey starting all the way from Bakersfield.
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Mike Kai Chen
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NPR
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At heart is who gets to define who is a terrorist, Singh says. He says training around Transnational Repression, is best left in the hands of the Justice Department.
Israel and the U.S. have launched what Israel describes as a preemptive military strike against Iran, amid weeks of escalating tensions and heightened U.S. military presence in the region.
What we know: Iranian government media report rocket fire in parts of the capital, Tehran. State television has broadcast footage showing smoke rising after a blast in the city. The extent of the damage and potential casualties has not yet been confirmed. W
Why now: In an official statement, Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz described the operation as a preemptive action aimed at neutralizing threats against Israel.
Updated February 28, 2026 at 05:12 AM ET
TEL AVIV — The U.S. and Israel have launched strikes against Iran with the goal of toppling the regime, President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday.
Iran retaliated by launching missiles at Israel and a U.S. naval base in Bahrain. An Iranian official said all Israeli and U.S. interests in the region were now considered legitimate targets.
The joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran comes after weeks of escalating tensions and a major U.S. military buildup in the region, as the U.S. and Iran tried to negotiate a deal to limit Iran's nuclear program. Trump said those efforts had failed.
"Bombs will be dropping everywhere," President Trump said, addressing Iranians in a video posted to his Truth Social account. "When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be, probably, your only chance for generations."
The Israeli military said in a statement its fighter jets were striking "dozens of military targets" in Iran with "full synchronization and coordination" between the Israeli and U.S. militaries following months of joint planning.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the goal of the joint U.S.-Israeli attack is to "remove the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran."
"Our joint action will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands," Netanyahu said in a video.
A person briefed on the operation told NPR it was expected to last a few days, with Israel's military focusing on targeting Iran's missile program.
"We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground," Trump said.
Israel has closed its airspace to all passenger flights, and civil defense protocols have been activated. Regional military forces remain on high alert.
A 48-hour state of emergency has been declared nationwide. Air raid sirens have been sounding across Israel, with authorities warning civilians to enter bomb shelters.
Trails of smoke streaked the sky above Tel Aviv as Israeli interception systems fired at incoming missiles. A hospital in central Israel began moving operations to an underground fortified compound.
"Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people. It's menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas and our allies throughout the world," Trump said.
Trump said the U.S. had "sought repeatedly to make a deal" but Iran "rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions."
Trump told the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps to "lay down your arms… or you will face certain death."
Iranian government media reported rocket fire in parts of the capital, Tehran. State television has broadcast footage showing smoke rising after a blast in the city. The extent of the damage and potential casualties has not yet been confirmed.
The strike follows weeks of speculation about potential military action against Iran, particularly amid a significant U.S. military buildup in the Middle East.
Makenna Sievertson
leads LAist’s unofficial Big Bear bald eagle beat and has been covering Jackie and Shadow for several seasons.
Published February 27, 2026 6:42 PM
Mama Jackie with her second egg of the second clutch of the season. Big Bear's bald eagles are getting another chance at raising chicks after the first two eggs were breached.
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Big Bear’s famous bald eagles, Jackie and Shadow, are getting another chance at parenthood after welcoming a fourth egg this season, about a month after the first two eggs were breached by ravens.
Why now: Jackie welcomed the newest egg a little before 6 p.m. Friday, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that runs a popular YouTube livestream centered on the nest overlooking Big Bear Lake.
Why it matters: Bald eagles generally lay one clutch, which refers to the group of eggs laid in each nesting attempt, per season. But a replacement clutch is possible if the eggs don’t make it through the early incubation process, as seen with Jackie and Shadow this year and in 2021.
The backstory: The duo laid the first two eggs of the season in late January as thousands of eager fans watched online. But within a week, Friends of Big Bear Valley confirmed one of the eggs was cracked, and a raven breached both eggs in the nest later the same day.
What's next: Jackie has laid up to three eggs in a clutch, including in each of the past two seasons, so it’s possible another egg could arrive in the coming days. In February 2021, Jackie laid two eggs in a replacement clutch.
Friends of Big Bear Valley often reminds fans — nature is in charge, and only time will tell what the season brings.
Chick watch: Once egg-laying is over, the chick countdown is on. Jackie and Shadow's usual egg incubation time is around 35 to 39 days, starting when the eagles begin to fully incubate their clutch, according to the nonprofit.
Last season, the first egg hatched at around 40 days old, the second egg hatched around 38 days old and the third egg around 39 days old.
If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.
Kevin Tidmarsh
is a producer for LAist, covering news and culture. He’s been an audio/web journalist for about a decade.
Published February 27, 2026 4:09 PM
At this board meeting in November 2025, PUSD students protested cuts to their schools' funding.
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Facing a multi-million-dollar budget shortfall for the upcoming school year, Pasadena Unified School District board voted unanimously this week to finalize a plan to send layoff notices to more than 160 staff members as part of an effort to balance its budget that began last fall.
About the board meeting: During the Thursday meeting, parents, teachers, union leaders and staff spoke against approving layoff notices, saying that they would harm the classroom experience and potentially lead to more families and teachers leaving the district.
What the board says: Pasadena Unified board members said that the cuts were necessary, especially amid warnings from regulators that they could be out of compliance with regulators that have warned the district of its responsibility to balance its budget.
What happens next: The reduction in force notices letting staff know that their positions may be cut will go out by halfway through March. The district will then have until the summer to finalize the list of staff being laid off.
Facing a multi-million-dollar budget shortfall for the upcoming school year, Pasadena Unified's school board voted unanimously this week to finalize a plan to send layoff notices to more than 160 staff members as part of an effort to balance its budget that began last fall.
The district has maintained that the job reductions are necessary because of a $30 million budget deficit, part of a financial crisis made worse by the Eaton Fire.
Listen
27:10
PUSD will vote on budget cuts. What programs are in jeopardy and will this help their overall deficit?
California schools must notify employees about potential layoffs for the following school year by March 15. The number of current employees who will be out of a job next year is still unclear, in part, because people may be reassigned to vacant positions. In the past, PUSD has also rescinded some layoff notices before they took effect.
Parents, teachers and union leaders at the Thursday meeting criticized the district for targeting teachers and school staff for layoffs instead of administrative positions.
“ Teaching for PUSD means anxiety every March as it approaches, because we don't know if we're going to get to keep our job or not,” said Genevieve Miller, a PUSD teacher who said her children also graduated from the district. “ There's a different way forward.”
Board members acknowledged the decision they made was difficult.
“ I just want to be very clear that this is not the outcome that anybody prefers,” Board member Yarma Velázquez said. “Workforce reductions and the continuous, year after year position of being in this place where we have to reduce positions is draining and it is painful.
“I am very aware of what the implications are for all of the people that work here at PUSD.”
The board meeting
At the meeting, which started at 4 p.m. and nearly lasted until midnight, parents highlighted the potential of families and teachers choosing to leave the district because of the layoffs.
“ Right now, the [PUSD] community is in fight mode, as you can see from the turnout and other comments being made here tonight,” said parent Neil Tyler. “But if you approve these resolutions as proposed tonight, a large chunk of the community will quickly shift to flight mode and the death spiral of this district will begin.”
Jonathan Gardner, president of United Teachers of Pasadena, told the board that the cuts meant the district would lose dozens of middle and high school teachers and child development staff.
“ The best thing for kids and staff is always stability and making sure that we have full staff,” Gardner said. “The priorities should be working from the student experience out. Instead, what we see is millions and millions of dollars being spent on contracted services and millions and millions being spent on extra staffing at the central office.”
Speakers also noted that Pasadena Unified had endured years of budget cuts, which affected teachers, librarians and office staff.
Others said PUSD was failing to meet its requirement under California law to commit at least 55% of the district’s education expenses to teacher salaries.
LAist reached out to the district for comment on this but has not yet received a response.
Pasadena Unified board members said the cuts were necessary, especially after warnings from regulators that they could be out of compliance with requirements to balance the budget.
“For the sake of the district's solvency, I feel like it would be irresponsible if I took an action that put this district in jeopardy,” board member Michelle Bailey said Thursday night. “I can't in good conscience take that kind of action.”
About the budget issues
Concerns over declining enrollment numbers, which are tied to funding, have been growing since the Eaton Fire.
A report commissioned by a state agency recommended that the state increase its funding for the school system to help with fire recovery.
Some observers said Pasadena Unified’s budget issues date back much longer than that.
“Over the past 30 years, Pasadena Unified has faced a mounting fiscal calamity, one that you can no longer ignore or postpone,” Octavio Castelo, director of business advisory services for the Los Angeles County Office of Education, told Pasadena Unified’s board in November. “Despite your best efforts and intentions, the district has not been able to live within its means."
Cutting staff will likely mean losing some school programs, including language and music.
“ You have Mary Jackson [Elementary in Altadena] — it's a science magnet school, and they're cutting the science teacher,” Gardner, the teacher’s union president, told LAist. “That's the heart of the school.”
PUSD's timeline for budget cuts
Oct. 15, 22, 29 at 4:30- 6:30 p.m.
The Superintendent's Budget Advisory Committee meets to review district programs and recommend cuts. More info.
Nov. 13
PUSD board reviews recommended budget cuts. Read more about board meetings. The agenda will be posted here.
Nov. 20
PUSD votes on recommended budget cuts. Read more about board meetings. The agenda will be posted here.
December 2025
PUSD delivers a financial report called the “first interim” to the L.A. County Office of Education
PUSD begins identifying specific positions to eliminate.
March 2026
PUSD issues layoff notices to impacted staff.
June 2026
PUSD board votes on the budget for the upcoming school year.
July 2026
Budget with up to $35 millions in cuts takes effect.
What happens next
The layoff notices are expected to be sent to affected staff members by mid-March.
The district will have until summer to finalize the list.
Mariana Dale
explores and explains the forces that shape how and what kids learn from kindergarten to high school.
Published February 27, 2026 4:01 PM
LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho speaks during a press conference at LAUSD Headquarters in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday.
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Topline:
The Los Angeles Unified School Board voted unanimously Friday to place Superintendent Alberto Carvalho on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation. The board appointed longtime administrator and current Chief of School Operations Andres Chait as interim superintendent.
The backstory: The reason for the searches is unknown, although it has been the subject of widespread speculation. A DOJ spokesperson said the agency had a court-authorized warrant but declined to provide additional details. The FBI told LAist media partner CBS LA that the underlying affidavit remained under court-ordered seal.
About the superintendent: Carvalho has been superintendent of LAUSD since 2022, and the board unanimously renewed his contract in 2025. Prior to coming to L.A., Carvalho had worked for the Miami-Dade County school district for decades, 30 years as a teacher and the last 14 years as the district's supervisor.
A potential connection to AI: A spokesperson for the FBI in Miami confirmed Wednesday’s L.A. searches are linked to a search of a South Florida home the same day. That property, identified by local media outlets, belongs to a woman associated with the company LAUSD contracted with to create a short-livedAI tool.
The Los Angeles Unified School Board voted unanimously Friday to place Superintendent Alberto Carvalho on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.
The FBI searched Carvalho’s home and district offices Wednesday. A DOJ spokesperson said the agency had a court-authorized warrant but declined to provide additional details. The FBI told LAist media partner CBS LA that the underlying affidavit remained under court-ordered seal.
The board also appointed current Chief of School Operations Andres Chait as acting superintendent after the seven-hour closed meeting Thursday and Friday.
“I know that this is a very challenging time,” said Board President Scott Schmerelson in a brief public statement after the decision was announced. “I want you to know that the board believes in you, supports you and knows that you will continue to do your very best to support the students and families of the district.”
Schmerelson clarified in an email to LAist that he was referring to Chait. The seven-member board exited the meeting room without taking questions. Carvalho was not present and has not made a public statement since the searches Wednesday.
The district posted a statement online later in which Schmerelson wrote that “today’s action is aimed at fulfilling our promise to students and families to provide an excellent public education without distraction.”
The board’s decision provided clarity about district leadership but did not shed light on the reason for the searches, which have been the subject of widespread speculation.
“While we understand the need for information, we cannot discuss the specifics of this matter pending investigation,” read the district’s statement.
Who is the acting superintendent?
Chait has worked for the district for nearly three decades. The chief of school operations’ responsibilities are varied and include athletics, the district’s office of emergency management and staff investigations. Chait has presented to the board on everything from school safety to the cell phone ban and the district’s calendar.
Chief of School Operations Andres Chait has worked for LAUSD for nearly three decades.
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“I am humbled by the board’s confidence in appointing me to serve as acting superintendent during this critical time," Chait said in the district’s statement. "Our focus remains clear: to ensure stability, continuity and strong leadership for our students, families and employees."
What we know about AllHere, LAUSD’s AI tool
A spokesperson for the FBI in Miami confirmed Wednesday’s L.A. searches are linked to a search of a South Florida home the same day. That property, identified by local media outlets, belongs to Debra Kerr, who was associated with the company LAUSD contracted to create a short-lived AI toolcalled AllHere.
Federal authorities have not connected AllHere to this week’s investigation.
Los Angeles Unified approved a $6.2 million contract with AllHere in June 2023 to develop a tool that would create an “individual acceleration plan,” using district data and featuring an artificial intelligence chatbot.
LAUSD debuted “Ed” the following Marchas a "personal assistant" to students that would point them toward mental health resources and nudge students who were falling behind.
Within three months of its debut, the company behind Ed, AllHere, furloughed the bulk of its staff; its CEO was later charged with fraud. The district defended the process it used to debut that chatbot, which cost $3 million.
Parents and educators demanded transparency after the district shut down the chatbot.
SEIU Local 99, which represents school support staff and United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) have issued statements calling on the district to clearly communicate about the status of the superintendent and the investigation.
"UTLA educators and our school communities have long raised concerns about LAUSD rapidly increasing spending on education tech and outside contractors, while investment in classrooms and educators has declined,” UTLA wrote in a statement provided to LAist.
Carvalho has been superintendent of LAUSD since 2022, and the board unanimously renewed his contract in 2025. Prior to coming to L.A., Carvalho had worked for the Miami-Dade County school district for decades, 30 years as a teacher and the last 14 years as the district's supervisor.
