OSPI investigates Longview superintendent, executive director
The state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is investigating the conduct of Longview School District Superintendent Karen Cloninger and Andrew Schoonover, the district's executive director of student services.
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OSPI's Office of Professional Practices, which investigates allegations of professional misconduct, received a complaint about Cloninger and Schoonover from the regional educational service district May 22, OSPI spokesperson Katy Payne wrote in an email Tuesday. Longview is part of ESD 112.
The complaint was based on Cloninger's May 21 arrest and information that police planned to seek charges against Schoonover, Payne wrote.
Cloninger was arrested on suspected charges of tampering with a witness, failure to report and obstructing a law enforcement officer. The Longview Police Department announced the same day that it also planned to seek charges against Schoonover for failure to report and making a false or misleading statement to a public servant.
Both are currently on administrative leave from the school district.
The suspected charges are related to the district's internal investigation into allegations that students at Mark Morris High School committed sexual assault on campus.
Police documents allege that Cloninger was aware of evidence of possible criminal activity, but did not inform law enforcement and discouraged district staff from reporting it. School employees, including the superintendent, are legally required to report any suspected child abuse.
The Office of Professional Practices is only allowed to open investigations into educators under certain circumstances, Payne wrote. It can investigate if it receives a formal complaint; if the educator was arrested, charged or convicted of specific felony offenses; or if the educator's license was suspended, revoked or surrendered.
OSPI investigations are not the same as law enforcement investigations, Payne wrote. They focus only on whether the educator should face consequences related to their teaching certificate, such as having it suspended or revoked.
If there is a law enforcement investigation into a related issue, OSPI will take those results into consideration in its own investigation.
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