Longview schools hires outside investigator after superintendent arrested
Acting Superintendent Patti Bowen announced Friday that Longview School District has hired an additional outside investigator to review how Superintendent Karen Cloninger and other staff handled allegations of sexual assault at Mark Morris High School.
The announcement comes after Cloninger was arrested Thursday on charges of tampering with a witness, failure to report and obstructing a law enforcement officer.
UPDATED: Longview superintendent arrested, charged with witness tampering
Longview School District Superintendent Karen Cloninger was arrested around 9:26 a.m. Thursday on charges of tampering with a witness, failure to report and obstructing a law enforcement officer, the Longview Police Department announced.
Both Cloninger and Executive Director of Student Services Andrew Schoonover will remain on administrative leave during the investigation and legal proceedings, Bowen wrote.
The Longview Police Department announced Thursday that it intends to charge Schoonover with failure to report and making a false or misleading statement to a public servant.
Bowen added in a later statement sent Friday afternoon that three other employees connected to the Mark Morris investigation have also been placed on administrative leave.
"It's important to note that administrative leave is a nondisciplinary step that allows for careful, fair and impartial review of facts while protecting the integrity of the process," she wrote.
The other employees were not named, and she wrote that the district does not disclose details about personnel matters.
Coming in to help sort things out is Jill Smith, an attorney from law firm Simmons Sweeney Freimund Smith Tardif PLLC, Bowen wrote. The review is intended to determine whether Cloninger and other staff members involved followed the law and district policy in handling the allegations.
Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help
Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to The Daily News.
Smith is a founding partner at the firm and has experience conducting workplace investigations for schools and other public and private employers, according to her profile on the firm's website.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include a new statement from acting Superintendent Patti Bowen.
Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published May 23, 2026 at 4:20 AM.