HUDSON — A former Glenwood City School District superintendent, who later worked as Chippewa Falls Schools executive director of human resources and public relations, appeared in St. Croix County Court Tuesday on 17 felony charges and was bound over for trial.
Timothy D. Johnson, 52, now of Glenwood City, was charged in October with theft in excess of $100,000, two counts of laundering money, seven counts of uttering a forgery, and seven counts of misconduct in office by producing fraudulent records.
Johnson appeared in person in court, where he waived his preliminary hearing. Court commissioner Timothy Heckmann found probable cause that Johnson committed a felony and bound him over for trial. Heckmann set an arraignment for June 5. No trial dates have been set.
Johnson was previously released on a signature bond and is not in custody. As terms of his release, he cannot have any contact with any witnesses or the Glenwood City School District, either in person or through any electronic communications.
Judge Scott Nordstrand was previously assigned to the case, but Johnson filed for a substitute judge last week.
Johnson was hired by the Chippewa Falls School District in May 2023. However, he was placed on administrative leave in January 2024 after allegations surfaced that he had collected more than $80,000 for continuing education classes that he never took at Viterbo University in La Crosse while he was superintendent in the Glenwood City School District.
Johnson resigned from Chippewa Falls a week later, and school officials said he never had any access to the district’s finances there.
Last June, Intellex Forensics Advisory Services issued a 68-page report to the Glenwood City School District with details of the fraudulent activity.
“Based on the results of our review, we conclude that Tim Johnson fraudulently received $75,515 in education reimbursements while simultaneously receiving $125,000 to offset graduate courses never taken,” the letter reads. “Further, we were asked to review funds placed into investments by Tim Johnson and (district accountant) Ron Johnson. The result of our forensic review showed that Tim Johnson and Ron Johnson negligently placed $349,650 of District funds into investments not compliant with Wisconsin statutes. Additionally, we were asked to review funds paid to Ron Johnson. The results of our forensic review concluded that Tim Johnson and Ron Johnson improperly compensated Ron Johnson in the amount of $17,500.”
Viterbo University officials later confirmed that Johnson hadn’t taken any of the classes he was reimbursed for dating back to 2014. University officials said reimbursement forms that Johnson had submitted to the school district were not on official school letterhead.
“Tim Johnson submitted claims for and received $75,515 in reimbursements for graduate courses he claimed he completed during the school years of 2013-14 through 2022-2023. Our examination of the Viterbo transcripts, however, revealed that Tim Johnson never completed these courses,” the forensic audit reads.
Johnson’s participation in a doctoral program at Viterbo University was not mentioned in his résumé or any other application materials he provided to the Chippewa Falls School District.
Johnson joined the Glenwood City School District in 2003 as its middle school/high school principal. He was promoted to superintendent in 2014 and stayed in that role until he resigned in May 2023.