FBI investigating Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools as scrutiny of district grows
The federal government is now investigating Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, joining the growing list of agencies probing the district as it continues down a tumultuous path littered with allegations of “financial irregularities,” an ousted superintendent and a divided school board.
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Charlotte’s FBI office and U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed the investigation in statements Monday afternoon but remain tight-lipped on what they’re examining.
“I can confirm the FBI & the U.S. Attorney’s Office is investigating a matter related to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Due to the ongoing investigation, I cannot provide any additional information,” FBI Charlotte Public Affairs Officer Shelley Lynch said in statement.
A spokesperson for Russ Ferguson, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, echoed a similar statement. WBT Radio first reported the news.
In a statement, the CMS Board of Education said it was “aware” of the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office inquiry.
“As with any law enforcement entity, if requested, we will seek to cooperate. We cannot offer any further comment,” the statement said. “During this time, the work on behalf of all CMS students continues each and every day at all of our 185 schools and for all of the approximately 139,000 students we serve.”
It’s the latest in a series of investigations launched into the district amid major turnover in leadership.
Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather announced in mid-September he requested the State Bureau of Investigation launch a formal criminal investigation into CMS after previously asking the SBI to “conduct an informal inquiry into reports of alleged financial irregularities within transactions involving Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.”
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Days later, the CMS board voted narrowly to fire Superintendent Crystal Hill on the same night board Chair Stephanie Sneed stepped down from her leadership position rather than face a removal vote. Hill alleged school board members tried to extort her into resigning in a memo sent to the board ahead of her firing.
State Auditor Dave Boliek announced the day after Hill’s firing his office was also investigating “financial irregularities” within CMS.
And late last week, state Superintendent Mo Green and State Board of Education Chair Eric Davis announced the Department of Public Instruction would look into the district’s finances, saying the allegations are “serious and warrant careful review.”
Hill’s memo, obtained by the Observer and other news outlets, raised concerns about ties between board members and CMS contractors and political involvement of CMS representatives.
The now-former superintendent also questioned the motives behind an investigation of her launched this summer. Hill was suspended for about two months during the investigation, which found no wrongdoing on her part.
Five members of Hill’s 10-person cabinet have left or announced plans to leave in recent weeks, according to district records reviewed by the Observer.
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This breaking news story will be updated.
Observer reporter Nora O’Neill and former reporter Rebecca Noel contributed.
This story was originally published October 5, 2026 at 2:02 PM.
