IL Superintendent Pays For Porn, Creates False Invoices: Report

SUMMIT, IL – The former superintendent of a west suburban school district paid thousands of dollars for porn on his government credit card, according to an investigation.

He is also accused of trying to hide the spending by directing an employee to create false invoices. After an investigation began, he told the employee in a text, "I can't lie anymore."

Last week, William Toulios, superintendent of Argo Community High School, resigned as part of an agreement with the school board. He was put on leave in April, a few months after Patch reported on his questionable spending.

Through a public records request, Patch on Thursday obtained the 111-page report on the investigation into Toulios' credit card spending. It was done by the Akerman law firm and the Meaden & Moore accounting firm.

In an interview Thursday morning, Toulios' attorney, Frank Avila, said his client made mistakes in his spending, but did not intentionally violate policy.

He said Toulios decided to resign because the spending had become a distraction.

"He loves the school. He has done a lot of good for the school," Avila said.

According to the report, Toulios used the Epoch app to buy adult content online, though such apps hide the nature of the spending.

Toulios told the board that the expenditure was for a conservative publication called the Epoch Times. He said he had a personal subscription and mistakenly used his school credit card.

Toulios never presented evidence showing he had an Epoch Times subscription, the report said.

But the investigation said Toulios' story changed over time. He later claimed that his school credit card had been compromised, resulting in the Epoch expenditures, the report said.

The report included text messages from Toulios and his wife that indicated he had asked the school's bookkeeper and accountant, Jacqueline Williams, to create false invoices from the Epoch Times. Those invoices were produced in response to a resident's public records request.

In May, with the investigation just having started, Toulios' wife, Melissa Toulios, wrote Williams that she was sorry her husband had put the employee in a bad situation or predicament. She said they were going to turn in the Epoch Times receipts that day for the investigation.

"I know your intentions mean well, but I don't want you guys getting in trouble," Melissa said. "(My sister) said that they will not question the receipts or those charges as long as it's been reimbursed."

Williams responded that the superintendent, who had been on leave for a month at that point, did not put her in a bad position.

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

On the same day, Toulios told Williams that "we are sticking to the story of these are unauthorized charges and 'controversial periodical purchases.'"

A couple of days later, she told an apparently worried Toulios in a text, "I got you."

Toulios said, "Your stance is that you did this for previous supers under the advisement of the previous business manager. I had to come clean with my attorney on this because we don't know what was submitted in this investigation." (The inquiry concluded that such a practice did not exist under previous superintendents.)

He also wrote, "I am sorry I can't lie anymore, and I can't live with myself. I have ruined all that I hold dear in this world, and I can't even begin to describe how much I can't stop crying for what I did to everyone. I deserve what I have, and it's not your fault, it is me."

According to the investigation, Williams 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.

Williams was fully cooperative and considered a credible witness, according to the inquiry.

In Thursday's interview, Avila, Toulios' attorney, said he had not received the investigation report yet, despite requests for it.

He said the text exchanges were taken out of context, calling Williams a "bad actor."

Williams, who is listed on the school's website but is on paid administrative leave, did not immediately return a message for comment Thursday.

Here is more information on Toulios' spending from the investigation report:

Epoch

Toulios spent $2,550 between April and December 2023 with Epoch, a payment processing service associated with adult content websites.

Slushy

Between November 2023 and April 2024, Toulios spent $1,130 in payments with Slushy, an adult website. Toulios continued to say his son had used his credit card information without authorization and that his son had come clean about it. He said he "caught" the fact that his card had been used for the charges in question.

Viagra

Between January 2024 and May 2024, Toulios spent $158 with the school's credit card for products from HIMS. He admitted he shouldn't have used the card for such personal purchases. He said the supplements were delivered to his home.

However, the superintendent's secretary said that in early 2024, she opened a package for Toulios in the office, assuming it was for business. She found a generic form of Viagra inside. Concerned she would get in trouble for opening it, she took it home and discarded it. She reported the issue to then-school board president Dan Kozal and another official.

Amazon

Credit card records show that Toulios spent more than $26,000 with Amazon. In May, Toulios provided a 240-page Amazon document, containing many redacted items.

The school asked Toulios to give an unredacted document, saying it had the right to know what was spent with its card. Toulios declined to do so. His lawyer said the list would be subject to the Freedom of Information Act and thus "weaponized" against his client.

The school was able to see through some of the redactions. They showed that Toulios had spent hundreds of dollars on adult websites such as "hellcatxo," "Mofitcouple" and "Isabellaeva."

"Toulios' ongoing failure to cooperate by withholding records necessary for the accounting firm to complete its work deprives the District of a full understanding of the extent of Toulios' improper use of his District-issued credit card for personal purchases," the report said.

Holy Cross Greek Church

In October 2023, Toulios spent $625 on the school credit card with Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church in nearby Justice. Toulios' attorney, Avila, explained to the school that the board asked the superintendent to attend a fundraiser at the church. It was a boxing match fundraiser for "local police, one of them that was gonna come to be a security guard at the school ... but he died, okay, so the boxing match was in his honor," the attorney said.

Toulios agreed with that explanation. The report showed a Facebook announcement for the event, which said nothing about a deceased officer. The ticket price was $125. The investigation concluded that Toulios paid for more tickets or included an additional donation.

Jaguars Hockey Club

In August 2023, Toulios made a $175 donation with his school credit card to his son's hockey club.

National Herald

Between March 2023 and May 2024, Toulios used his credit card for a $74.85 subscription to the National Heard, which calls itself "the paper of record for the Greek Diaspora community." He initially said it was a school subscription, but later admitted students did not have access to it.

Food and coffee

Toulios regularly bought food and beverages with his school-issued credit card. He logged $92,000 throughout his five-year tenure. Many expenses were large and presumably for school events. But many purchases were for less than $50 and appeared to be for personal consumption. They totaled nearly $5,000.

Toulios admitted the expenditures were for himself and that, like other employees, he was not entitled to an allowance for regular meals and coffee.