LAUSD Chief Alberto Carvalho Faced Fresh Scrutiny Over GPS, Telegram

LAUSD chief Alberto Carvalho faced fresh scrutiny over the GPS tracker on his district vehicle after a June 8 internal letter accused him of steering staff to remove it and taking other steps to keep his activities out of view. The letter, sent as the Los Angeles Unified School District moved to fire him or push him out after FBI raids on his home and office in February, laid out a broad list of alleged misconduct tied to his final months running the nation’s second-largest school system.

The board, through President Scott Schmerelson, said Carvalho also directed staff to unblock Telegram on his district computer even though the messaging service was viewed as a cyber risk. The letter accused him of unprofessional conduct, poor performance and violations of state law or district rules. It also said he told staff to remove the GPS device from his district-issued SUV so the system could no longer follow his movements. Carvalho’s attorneys answered that he believed his use of the vehicle and driver was permitted and that LAUSD officials knew he used secure messaging apps.

The dispute reached beyond the vehicle and computer questions. The letter said Carvalho had his district-paid driver handle personal errands, including rides for his wife to LAX and trips for Carvalho and a female district employee to restaurants and other social events. It also said he sought open internet access for his office, and that a separate unfiltered network was installed after he told staff his workspace should bypass the district firewall. His lawyers said he needed access to websites that were blocked by the district and that the technology issues were known to him and the board.

Schmerelson’s letter also repeated earlier allegations that Carvalho accepted gifts from contractors and lobbyists beyond legal limits, along with outside income and donor-funded travel. The June 8 notice came as investigators intensified attention on Carvalho’s record and the circumstances surrounding his leadership of the $20.6 billion district. Carvalho served as superintendent for more than four years and was long regarded as one of the country’s top educators before the FBI searches brought a rapid fall from favor.