One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
Newly-released letters show LAUSD moved to fire Carvalho before he resigned
The LAUSD school board planned to vote on firing former Superintendent Alberto Carvalho for cause before he abruptly resigned in June.
(
Christina House
/
Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
)
Topline:
The Los Angeles Unified School District Board planned to vote on firing former Superintendent Alberto Carvalho for cause before he resigned in June. Letters released to LAist in response to a public records request show the district accused Carvalho of violating district policy. The documents LAist received also show his lawyers contested the allegations.
What the letters say: The bulk of the allegations against Carvalho in the June 8 letter are related to not reporting gifts and outside payments for education-related consulting work. Board President Scott Schmerelson wrote that an ongoing investigation also allegedly found Carvalho bypassed district information technology policy and asked his district-provided driver to perform personal work.
Carvalho’s legal team responds: Lawyers with Holland and Knight, which is representing Carvalho, issued a 12-page rebuttal to the district’s claims and called the letter a “political hit job.” Carvalho’s attorneys wrote that the externally funded meetings, travel and other perks were public and often discussed with the district’s general counsel. The response also highlighted Carvalho’s recent contract renewal, which was unanimously approved by the board in September 2025.
The backstory: FBI agents searched Carvalho’s home and office on Feb. 25, 2026. A Department of Justice spokesperson said the agency had a court-authorized warrant, but declined to provide additional details. Within days, LAUSD’s board voted unanimously to place Carvalho on paid administrative leave “pending investigation.” The board appointed longtime district administrator Andrés Chait to the district’s top job first temporarily and then permanently after Carvalho resigned.
This is a developing story. LAist has reached out to LAUSD and Carvalho’s legal team for comment and will update this story with further information.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
