Overview
- Police arrested Longview Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Karen Cloninger on Thursday and charged her with witness tampering, failure to report, and obstructing a law enforcement officer.
- Investigators say prosecutors will soon charge Andrew Schoonover, the district’s executive director of student services, with failure to report and making a false or misleading statement to a public servant.
- Detectives trace the alleged student sexual misconduct at Mark Morris High School to incidents beginning Jan. 29, including an allegation that a student was dragged into the varsity team room and partially undressed, and two student-athletes were arrested in February with a July trial set.
- The school board placed Cloninger on administrative leave at an emergency meeting and appointed Patti Bowen as acting superintendent to keep schools operating while the criminal investigation continues.
- Police say detectives developed probable cause after reviewing records, communications, witness interviews and search-warrant evidence, and the case could lead to additional prosecutions and further scrutiny of district reporting practices and policies.