FBI serves search warrants at LAUSD headquarters and Superintendent Alberto Carvalho’s home

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — The FBI on Wednesday morning served search warrants at the Los Angeles Unified School District’s headquarters and the home of Superintendent Alberto Carvalho.

Federal officials served the warrants as part of an ongoing investigation, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the probe. The nature of the investigation and what allegations were being examined was not immediately clear.

Multiple sources, however, said that while the case remains under seal, the case is “white collar” and is not related to immigration.

Reached by ABC7, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California responded: “Law enforcement is executing a judicially approved search warrant at those locations. We have no further comment.”

The district released a statement late Wednesday morning, says it’s cooperating with the investigation.

“We have been informed of law enforcement activity at Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters and at the home of the Superintendent. The District is cooperating with the investigation and we do not have further information at this time.”

Carvalho’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment from ABC7.

FBI agents descend on superintendent’s home

FBI agents wearing blue raid jackets and carrying cardboard boxes were seen at Carvalho’s San Pedro home, along with several news reporters and photographers who were kept at bay across the street.

Sources told ABC News that the allegations, while under court seal, are not violent in nature, and the search was conducted quickly.

In a brief statement provided to ABC7, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’s office said: “LAUSD is an independent body not governed by the City of Los Angeles. The Mayor’s Office has no information about this.”

Neighbors speak out

Neighbors told Eyewitness News they were alarmed when the operation at the superintendent’s home began around 6 a.m. John Schafer described seeing armed agents outside.

“I’m thinking, ‘Well, maybe there was an intruder,'” he said. “Yeah, it was alarming that the guy in there and again, they’re telling everybody to stay in the house. So I said, ‘Hell, I’d better stay in the house.’ You don’t know what’s going on. So I’m staying in the house.”

Multiple neighbors said they also saw a man placed in handcuffs. Eyewitness News is working to confirm whether that individual was Carvalho.

Meantime, individuals who identified themselves as LAUSD employees were also at the superintendent’s home and said they’re working to get their questions answered.

What we know about Alberto Carvalho

Carvalho has been superintendent of the nation’s second-largest school district since February 2022.

The sprawling LAUSD has more than 500,000 students and covers more than two dozen cities.

Before coming to Los Angeles, Carvalho oversaw Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida’s largest school district, from 2008 to 2021, when he was credited with improving graduation rates and academic performance.

ABC News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.