A week after an angry crowd condemned the Argo Board of Education for not taking stronger action against William Toulios for using a school credit card to make personal purchases including some from adult-content websites, the board removed him as superintendent on Wednesday.
“Effective immediately, Dr. William Toulios, Superintendent of Argo Community High School District 217, has been placed on paid administrative reassignment,” board president Daniel Kozal wrote in an email that was sent Wednesday afternoon to parents of students who attend the Summit high school. “Until further notice, Dr. Brandon Cotter will serve as the Acting Interim Superintendent of the School District.
“Dr. Toulios will have a significantly reduced presence at the School District and will perform only those duties directed by the Board of Education through the Board President,” the email said. “The Board of Education makes this decision in light of the growing demands for an independent investigation into purchases made by Dr. Toulios, which include the use of a School District credit card.
“Following public records requests that were submitted to the School District in April 2024, an acknowledgement and reimbursement by Dr. Toulios of unauthorized purchases totaling less than $600, and an internal review of the expenditures, the Board of Education sanctioned Dr. Toulios in October 2024. The Board of Education intends to promptly hire an independent accounting firm to review the extent of any unauthorized expenses and to further advise the Board.”
The reassignment comes one week after several parents and community members expressed outrage at a school board meeting for board members failing to hold Toulios accountable for more than $8,000 in questionable charges on a district credit card since early in 2023.
After the charges were officially acknowledged last year, board members initially attributed the charges to a family member of Toulios. Toulios is believed to have repaid less than $500 of the questionable charges.
“This is completely unacceptable,” Mark Karge, an Argo graduate and community member, said while addressing last week’s meeting.
Karge said he was a certified public accountant and that he had reviewed nearly two years of credit card statements and found thousands of dollars in suspect transactions.
Among the charges he cited:
- $2,550 to Epoch, a third-party payment processor commonly used for adult entertainment websites
- $1,098 to Slushy, a subscription-based video platform that allows creators — many in the adult industry — to share explicit content and earn money through tips, messages, and subscriptions
- $4,697 in prepaid Visa gift cards
- Additional memberships, medical expenses, and sports-related fees with no clear link to school business
According to Slushy’s website, the platform is similar in function to TikTok or Instagram but built specifically for adult-themed creators, offering them a space to post content without fear of removal or account bans.
“My biggest question is: Was the board aware of these facts? And if so, why was Dr. Toulios allowed to pay back only a fraction and face no consequences,” Karge asked.
On Wednesday, Karge said, “The board should have done this last year, but at least they are finally doing something. I hope they hire someone reputable and truly independent and that the board takes appropriate action when they have all the facts.”
During the meeting, Kozal said the district’s business manager and auditors reviewed the charges and considered the matter closed.
“He paid it back,” Kozal said. “It was investigated.”
But the crowd wasn’t buying it.
“You each got a letter individually, and nothing was done,” Karge said, drawing applause.
He also questioned the independence of the review. “You had the assistant superintendent for finance investigate the superintendent?” he said.
When board member Nick Caprio asked, “Haven’t you ever made a mistake?” gasps rippled through the room.
“This isn’t a mistake,” shot back Catherine, a mother of six Argo graduates. “Twenty-five times is not a mistake. You fired another administrator over a tweet.”
She also said that Toulios should have been fired over the charges.
Pam Young, a 24-year district employee and secretary to Principal Brandon Cotter, told the board she had repeatedly raised concerns about Toulios’ spending — and was brushed off.
“I’ve seen the statements. There are thousands and thousands of dollars,” she said. “I got an email that said, ‘The attorneys already opened an investigation.’ No — I didn’t drop the FOIA. I saw the transactions.”
“You’re hiding something,” she added. “I feel it every single day. It’s ridiculous.”
She also said she was afraid to go public with her concerns because she feared she would be fired.
In 2024, the board accepted Toulios’ partial repayment and implemented new financial controls, including stricter purchase order requirements and dual-review of credit card statements. But several residents said the public was never given a full accounting.
“You’re supposed to stand up for our kids,” one speaker said. “And you’re brushing this under the rug.”
Toulios did not speak during the meeting.
Dan Kozal is a chiropractor and not a real medical doctor. Chiropractic is a pseudoscience and not based in fact but based on conjecture. Any benefits from it are psychosomatic or coincidental. No wonder this has happened under his leadership!! Dan Kozal should not be president of any school board!!!! Argo High School deserves a lot better than this!!!!