IL School Official Rubber-Stamped Porn Spending: Inquiry

SUMMIT, IL – The Argo Community High School superintendent's spending of thousands of dollars on porn, among other items, started after a new official took over the finances.

That official "rubber-stamped" the spending without questioning it, according to a report released last week.

In 2022, Joe Murphy left as the head of finance after nearly a decade. Taking his place was Joe Rojek.

A recent investigation into former Superintendent William Toulios' spending on his school-issued credit card revealed that he had spent thousands of dollars on porn, among other personal purposes.

According to the 111-page report, Murphy recognized the inherent issues with administrators using the school's credit card for purchases. He urged the use of purchase orders.

Murphy created a process to track, review and approve all school credit card expenses. He and his assistant would "pester" card users into providing necessary documentation.

In summer 2022, Rojek succeeded Murphy, but canceled or failed to show for meetings with Murphy beforehand to ensure a smooth transition, the report said.

Rojek did not change the policy. But Rojek told investigators that each card user had the responsibility to ensure the card was used and accounted for properly, according to the investigation.

Other card users, including Toulios' secretary Claudia Gonzalez, provided the required documentation to Rojek, but Toulios routinely failed to do so, the report said.

Rojek tried to address the issue with Toulios, but he nonetheless approved the purchases without receipts and did not review the statements, the report said.

Rojek admitted he essentially rubber-stamped his approvals because Toulios, Gonzalez and finance employee Jacqueline Williams had reviewed and approved them, according to the investigation. (Investigators said Williams hid the superintendent's spending by creating false invoices.)

Toulios' credit card spending, which was about $4,000 in Murphy's last year, spiked to $15,000 in 2022-23 and $33,000 in 2023-24.

In April 2024, the school received a Freedom of Information Act request about Toulios' spending. It was filed anonymously, but the principal's secretary, Pam Young, has since admitted to submitting that request and others. At first, she said she feared for her job if she were revealed.

The investigators, a team of lawyers and accountants, said they found Young credible.

Looking into the boss

In summer 2024, the school board assigned Rojek, assistant superintendent of finance, to investigate.

According to the investigation, Dan Kozal, then the board's president, told Rojek to only look into the specific expenses that were listed in a particular Freedom of Information Act request.

But Rojek told investigators that his curiosity got the best of him, so he conducted a more thorough investigation than Kozal wanted. (Kozal denied limiting it.)

Toulios looked into the expenses and found that the questionable expenses had nothing to do with travel or mileage expenses, even though that's how they were listed. But Rojek made no further inquiry about that, the report said.

Rojek sent an email to himself that showed what he found Toulios owed the school, including $2,550 for Epoch and $1,129 for Slushy, among others. The inquiry later determined those to be for online porn; the purpose of such expenditures is not apparent on credit card bills.

Rojek told investigators that he discussed the spending with Toulios in early September 2024. By Rojek's account, Toulios responded, "The board asked you to do what it wanted you to do – I would suggest that you follow their direction."

Behind closed doors in September 2024, Rojek told the board, with Toulios present, that his boss spent $427 on Slushy, but noted that Toulios reimbursed the school that May, according to the investigation.

Investigators said the amount was incorrect, pointing to Rojek's own documentation showing that Toulios spent $1,129 with Slushy.

'Superficial' investigation

In October, Kozal read a statement at a board meeting about the credit card spending. He said Toulios admitted a family member had made unauthorized purchases for which Toulios had reimbursed the school.

Kozal also said Toulios imposed a half-day suspension on himself.

Investigators rebuked Rojek's inquiry.

"(T)he 'investigation' conducted by Rojek had been superficial, and as now known, the Slush expenses constituted only a small part of Toulios' misuse of the District-issued credit card," the report said.

Rojek last week declined to comment on the report.

The investigation was done by the Akerman law firm and the Meaden & Moore accounting firm.