Key Figure In IL School Scandal Resigns, Accused Of Phony Invoice

SUMMIT, IL – An Argo Community High School employee who was accused of helping the superintendent hide his spending on porn resigned a month ago.

On Dec. 1, Jacqueline Conway, the school's bookkeeper and accountant, informed superiors that she would leave four days later, when her family and medical leave ended.

In mid-June, Conway was put on paid administrative leave while outside accountants investigated then-Superintendent William Toulios' spending. It was unclear when her administrative leave ended and her family and medical leave began.

In November, the school released its investigative report to Patch in response to a public records request. It said Conway worked with Toulios to create a false invoice from The Epoch Times, a conservative publication.

At the time, Toulios contended that Epoch expenses on his school credit card were for the publication, not an app called Epoch that people use to pay for porn. The report said Toulios' assertion was false.

In her resignation letter, Conway, whose previous last name was Williams, said she regretted leaving after 18 years.

"However, the recent events involving the Superintendent's unethical business practices and inappropriate directives have made it clear that my remaining presence at Argo is not tenable," she said.

Conway, whose salary was $83,000, also blamed another factor for her decision: "a long-standing lack of trust and deteriorating working conditions" under the supervision of the business office and the district's leadership.

Toulios, who resigned in November, was put on leave in April. A month into his leave, his wife, Melissa Toulios, wrote Conway that she was sorry her husband had put her in a bad position.

In response, Conway said that was not the case, according to the report.

"Any position I end up in is not on Bill, it's on me and me only," Conway said. "I hope and pray for a positive outcome and my Superintendent is back in his chair and rolls heads!!!"

Conway was described in the investigative report as cooperative and considered a credible witness.

According to the investigation, Conway said she agreed to create the phony invoice out of what she now realized was a misplaced sense of loyalty to Toulios. She expressed deep remorse and believed Toulios had taken advantage of her, the report said.

The report also said Conway knew Toulios and his wife outside work, although they were not close friends.

According to the report, Conway's son was well-known locally as an accomplished ice hockey player who played for DePaul.

The Toulioses' son, who is years younger than Conway's, also wanted to pursue hockey at a higher level. The couple asked Conway if her son would work with their son to improve his skills.

From time to time, the couple asked Conway to take their son to hockey practices and games, which she agreed to do. She sometimes dropped off the couple's son at their house.

A family member of Conway's said he had seen Toulios on occasion at her house, the report said.

State police have said they are investigating the superintendent's spending.