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Police say Longview, WA superintendent arrested
A public school district superintendent in Washington has been arrested as part of an investigation into a reported sexual assault involving high school students.
LONGVIEW, Wash. - A school district superintendent in Longview, Washington was arrested Thursday morning in connection to an ongoing sexual assault investigation involving high school students.
According to the Longview Police Department, officers arrested Karen Cloninger on charges of witness tampering, failure to report and obstructing police in a sexual assault investigation at Mark Morris High School. There are forthcoming charges for the Longview Public Schools executive director of student services, Andrew Schoonover, for failure to report and making false statements to police.
Sexual assault investigation at WA high school
The charges stem from allegations of sexual misconduct at Mark Morris High School as far back as Jan. 29, 2026.
According to the police department, school staff and district leaders were alerted to incidents involving several students. In one instance, police say a student was dragged into the varsity team's room, pinned to the ground and partially stripped.
Concerns rose of "mandatory reporting" required by school employees, especially after reports of the assault spread online in early February.
"This investigation required a significant amount of time, coordination, and evidence review," said Police Chief Robert Huhta. "We understand the significance this case has in our community and the concern it has created for students, families, staff, and the broader public."
By Feb. 5, the police department says it reached out to Cloninger and asked if law enforcement assistance was necessary. The Longview School District informed police they handled the matter internally.
On Feb. 9, a parent contacted law enforcement and reported a sexual assault, and police launched an official investigation. Detectives developed probable cause for failure to report and false statements, and believe Cloninger was directing employees to "internally handle" the incident and not discuss it.
"Keeping children safe is a shared community responsibility," said Huhta. "I want to thank our detectives for the professionalism, diligence, and care they have shown throughout this investigation. Our responsibility is to follow the facts, conduct thorough investigations, protect the integrity of the process, and present information through the legal system appropriately."
The response from the Longview School District
Acting Superintendent Patti Bowen issued the following statement:
"As a school district, we take our responsibility to protect the safety and care of our students very seriously. The allegations described by law enforcement are serious and troubling.
"Our district remains committed to understanding the facts surrounding the alleged student and staff misconduct, cooperating with the ongoing investigation, following the law, and ultimately taking appropriate accountability action.
"To continue the district's operations, the board held an emergency meeting this afternoon and placed Superintendent Dr. Karen Cloninger on administrative leave. I am now stepping into the role of acting superintendent until further notice.
"Because this remains an active investigation with anticipated court proceedings, we are limiting our comments to this statement and remain focused on our work to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for our students."
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The Source: Information in this story comes from the Longview Police Department and Longview School District.