Federal agents launched a sweeping operation across Los Angeles on the morning of February 25, 2026, executing search warrants at the headquarters of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and at the San Pedro home of Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. The dramatic move, confirmed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, sent shockwaves through the nation’s second-largest school district and raised urgent questions about the investigation’s focus and possible implications for LAUSD’s leadership.
According to multiple outlets including ABC7, FOX 11, and Los Angeles Times, FBI agents clad in blue raid jackets arrived at both sites early Wednesday, carrying cardboard boxes in and out of Carvalho’s residence as news crews and neighbors looked on. At the LAUSD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles, employees were evacuated as federal authorities swept through the 24th floor, where Carvalho’s office is located. The FBI, maintaining its standard protocol for ongoing investigations, declined to elaborate on what evidence was being sought or the precise nature of the probe. "Law enforcement is executing a judicially approved search warrant at those locations. We have no further comment," a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California told ABC7.
As of February 25, the affidavits supporting the search warrants remained sealed by a judge, leaving the public and district officials alike in the dark about what, if any, wrongdoing is being alleged. No arrests were announced, and it was unclear whether other district officials or locations were targeted. Superintendent Carvalho, Mayor Karen Bass, and LAUSD spokespeople all declined to comment, despite repeated requests from local and national media.
The sudden federal intervention comes at a sensitive time for LAUSD, which serves more than 500,000 students across over two dozen cities, making it a linchpin of public education in California and the U.S. The district’s sheer size and influence mean that any disruption at the top can ripple across communities and policy debates nationwide. The news has left parents, teachers, and students searching for answers, with many expressing concern about the investigation’s potential impact on daily school operations and long-term district initiatives.
Alberto Carvalho, who has led LAUSD since February 2022, is no stranger to high-profile leadership. Before coming to Los Angeles, he spent 14 years as superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida’s largest district. There, he was widely credited with raising graduation rates and academic performance, earning a slew of national honors: Florida’s 2014 Superintendent of the Year, 2014 National Superintendent of the Year, 2016 Magnet Schools of America Superintendent of the Year, 2016 Harold W. McGraw Prize in Education, 2018 National Urban Superintendent of the Year, and 2019 National Association for Bilingual Education Superintendent of the Year. In September 2025, he was reappointed to his LAUSD post, a testament to the board’s confidence in his leadership.
Carvalho’s personal story is as compelling as his professional resume. He often speaks about his impoverished upbringing in Portugal and his journey to the United States as an undocumented immigrant in the 1980s, after graduating high school. That narrative has, until now, helped him connect with LA’s diverse student body and foster a reputation as a reformer with a deep understanding of the challenges facing immigrant and low-income families.
Yet the timing of the FBI’s action has fueled speculation, especially given the swirl of recent controversies around LAUSD. Just last year, a group led by former Superintendent Austin Beutner and several students filed a lawsuit against the district and Carvalho, alleging misuse of $76.7 million in Proposition 28 funds. The suit claims that LAUSD violated the 2022 law by using arts and music money meant to expand programs to instead replace existing budgets, and by failing to meet the requirement that 80% of the funds go toward hiring new staff. The plaintiffs allege a "failure on both requirements," while the district insists it has "strictly followed state implementation guidelines," according to FOX 11.
Adding to the legal storm, the Department of Justice joined a separate lawsuit last week, brought by the conservative 1776 Project Foundation, accusing LAUSD of discriminating against white students under its decades-old desegregation policy. This suit, filed in Los Angeles federal court, contends that the district’s use of race-based classifications to label schools as "PHBAO" — Predominantly Hispanic, Black, Asian, and Other non-Anglo — and to allocate resources accordingly, systematically disadvantages students at non-PHBAO schools, including white and Middle Eastern students. The DOJ’s motion to intervene claims that LAUSD’s funding formulas and admissions preferences for magnet programs treat attending school with non-white students as a disadvantage equal to attending an overcrowded school. District officials have not yet commented on this suit, but its implications could be far-reaching, potentially affecting how resources are distributed across hundreds of campuses.
While there is no official word linking the FBI’s investigation to either of these lawsuits or to any specific incident, the convergence of these events has put LAUSD under a harsh spotlight. The district’s recent announcement that it would send 3,200 layoff notices as it faces an $877 million budget deficit only adds to the sense of instability and urgency.
Carvalho is no stranger to scrutiny. During his Miami tenure, he faced criticism in 2020 when the district’s inspector general reviewed a $1.57-million donation he helped solicit from an online instruction company for a foundation he oversaw. The company, which had a contract pending with the district, later provided an online platform that was quickly scrapped due to problems. While the inspector general concluded the donation did not violate ethics policies, it was found to have created "the appearance of impropriety," and the foundation was urged to return the funds. Instead, the money was distributed in $100 gift certificates to teachers, as reported by the Miami Herald.
Despite the uncertainty, LAUSD continues to operate, with district officials emphasizing their commitment to students and staff. The sealed nature of the FBI affidavits means that speculation will likely continue until more information is released by federal authorities or the district itself. For now, the Los Angeles education community—and the nation—waits for answers, as one of its most prominent school districts finds itself at the center of an unfolding federal investigation.
As the story develops, all eyes remain on LAUSD and Alberto Carvalho, with the hope that clarity will soon emerge from the current cloud of secrecy and speculation.