Allegations and Charges
Joanna Smith-Griffin, founder of AllHere Education, was arrested for securities and wire fraud, and identity theft, accused of deceiving investors out of nearly $10 million.
The indictment alleges Smith-Griffin fabricated revenue and contracts with major school districts, including , , and , while misusing funds for personal expenses.
Impact and Response
AllHere Education, which developed the "Ed" chatbot used by several school districts, collapsed earlier this year, leading to Chapter 7 bankruptcy and the layoff of employees.
LAUSD spent about $3 million on AllHere's services, with Superintendent Carvalho expressing optimism about salvaging the technology for future use.