Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho interacts with students in a classroom at Marlton School, a public special school for the deaf and hard of hearing students in Los Angeles. File Photo by Etienne Laurent/EPA-EFE
March 11 (UPI) — A superintendent in Los Angeles whose home and office was raided by the FBI last month released a statement Wednesday denying any wrongdoing.
Attorneys for Alberto Carvalho, the superintendent who is on administrative leave following the raid, said in the statement that they hope he is reinstated promptly. Carvalho is the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District
“Mr. Carvalho remains confident that the evidence will ultimately demonstrate that he acted appropriately and in the best interests of students,” the law firm Holland & Knight said in a statement. “Mr. Carvalho respects the rule of law and the investigative process and has always acted in the best interest of students and within the bounds of the law.”
The attorneys and FBI have not clarified why Carvalho’s home and office were raided or what sparked the investigation into the superintendent.
“While the government’s investigation remains ongoing, no evidence has been presented by prosecutors supporting any allegation that Mr. Carvalho violated federal law,” the statement said.
The Los Angeles Unified School District is scheduled to hold its first regular school board meeting since the raid on Tuesday. It will be a closed session meeting. The agenda for Tuesday’s meeting includes a discussion about labor agreements.
Former teacher, principal and superintendent Andres E. Chait is serving as acting superintendent.