Argo Superintendent May Sue School Board: Lawyer

SUMMIT, IL – Argo Community High School's superintendent, who was put on paid leave last week, will sue the school board if he is not reinstated, the official's lawyer said Wednesday.

Attorney Frank Avila said allegations against Superintendent William Toulios resulted from disgruntled former employees' "fraudulent conspiracy" to bring down his client.

"It's much ado about nothing," Avila said in an interview. "They're making a mountain out of a molehill."

Last week, the school board announced it had placed Toulios on leave as it investigates his credit card spending. Principal Brandon Cotter is serving as the interim superintendent.

On Wednesday night, the board voted for the superintendent's leave. Teachers union members attended to demonstrate their opposition to Toulios.

Avila said that in his client's five years as superintendent, he is responsible for raises for teachers and new infrastructure on campus, among other accomplishments.

"He has done an amazing job," Avila said.

The attorney also sought to explain Toulios' credit card spending that has come under question, much of which Patch has reported:

• "Sextpanthe": A $20 expenditure using the Epoch payment app is listed as "Sextpanthe." Avila said the superintendent subscribes to the Epoch Times, a conservative publication, and that he mistook the Epoch item as being the publication. Avila said this was an example of someone fraudulently using the credit card. Epoch, he said, is a "mechanism that takes payments for pornographic sites." He said his client did not go on that site and that a check of the computer confirmed that he visited no porn sites.
• Church: A $625 payment was sent to Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church in nearby Justice. This was for a nonprofit boxing event that involved people in the community, with school board members wanting to attend, Avila said.
• Hockey: A hockey team received $175. Toulios made this payment for a fundraiser involving the family of a student who took his own life, his attorney said.
• Another high school: A $275 expense was listed on Toulios' credit card for a high school in the south suburbs in the area of Toulios' house. It was for a golf outing for the superintendent's son's school, Avila said. "It was one school to another. That was reimbursed," Avila said. "That was signed off by the business manager."
• Gift cards: Avila said his client spent several thousand dollars on gift cards, which were for Argo students' financially struggling families.

Avila said his client, who grew up in the Argo area, wants an audit and plans to cooperate with the school's investigation. He said Toulios has put in his papers to retire in five years.

"He does intend to be rehired as superintendent," Avila said. "If he isn't, there will be a lawsuit."

Last year, Toulios volunteered to take a day of unpaid leave after allegations emerged about his credit card spending.

In reviewing the records, Toulios identified unauthorized purchases with the credit card, according to the school. They amounted to $457.

The expenses were blamed on a family member who used the card without permission.

With the recent decision, the board is bending to pressure from the teachers union, Avila said.

"The union is contacting the media. They're twisting this into a story it is not," the attorney said. "This is a conspiracy by disgruntled people. This is vengeance."

Employees whom Toulios has fired, Avila said, are leading the charge. Other union members are likely unaware of this, he said.

In one case, a former teacher is pursuing a vendetta against the superintendent, Avila said.

"She was caught on camera sneaking in late to the school. She was insubordinate to her supervisor," the lawyer said. "She was doing things on school time that she wasn't supposed to be doing."

School board members have not returned messages for comment.