FBI Raids L.A. Unified and Removes Documents related to the ill-fated "iPads-for-all Project"
In August we reported that L.A. Unified, the second largest school system in the U.S. had officially cancelled a one billion dollar contract with Apple for iPads. Schools Supt. John Deasy suspended future use of a contract with Apple that was to provide iPads to all students in the nation's second-largest school system amid mounting scrutiny of the $1-billion-plus effort. The suspension came days after disclosures that the superintendent and his top deputy had especially close ties to Apple executives. An internal report that examined the technology effort showed major problems with the process and the implementation. Today, a new report states that the FBI descended on from the Los Angeles Unified School District and removed 20 boxes of documents related to the awarding of contracts for the ill-fated $1.3 billion iPad project we noted in August.
The L.A. Times reports that the FBI's raid surprised school officials, according to the newly appointed L.A. schools Supt. Ramon C. Cortines. The "iPads-for-all project" was a signature initiative of his predecessor, John Deasy, who resigned under pressure in October.
Deasy readily acknowledged that the project was an expensive draw from bond funds. But he said there was no other way to pay for what he called a civil rights imperative — to provide low-income students equal access to technology in the nation's second-largest school system.
It would appear that John Deasy resigning may have only marked the beginning of his problems now that the FBI are involved in the case.
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