Longview superintendent barred from contacting nearly 17% of city
While Superintendent Karen Cloninger is awaiting her scheduled trial, Cowlitz County Superior Court has barred her from contacting any Longview School District students.
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That brings the list of people affected by the no-contact order to just over 6,500, or about 17% of Longview's population, which the U.S. Census Bureau estimated at 38,294 in 2024.
The state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction reported that Longview School District had 6,457 students enrolled in the 2025-2026 school year.
While that many people may be difficult to avoid, Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Michael Evans said an issue would only arise if an alleged violation of the order is filed.
He said the court would hear arguments about what specifically counts as "contact," in that case.
Can still contact most district staff
Cloninger's conditions of release do not explicitly prevent her from contacting district staff.
However, the May 22 order does bar her from contacting any of the 50 people listed as a potential state witness, which includes staff members who accused her of preventing them from reporting suspected sexual assault by Mark Morris students on campus.
Karen Cloninger
Karen Cloninger
These employees include Mark Morris High School Assistant Principal Charles Paul Beckel and recently retired Longview School District spokesperson Rick Parrish.
Cloninger was arrested May 21 and charged with failure to report child abuse or neglect, tampering with a witness and obstructing a law enforcement officer.
Restrictions placed by school district
In addition to the court's orders, the Longview School District has also placed restrictions on Cloninger as part of her administrative leave.
Kassie Swenson, chief communications officer for Longview School District, wrote in an email that employees who are placed on administrative leave are not allowed to access district facilities or electronic networks without advance authorization.
She added that district policy typically allows employees on administrative leave to attend public events, such as sporting events and board meetings. However, in this case, that would likely violate Cloninger's court order.
Cloninger was placed on paid administrative leave the day of her arrest. The Longview School Board voted June 8 to place her on unpaid leave because the court's no-contact order left her unable to perform the essential functions of her job.
The board appointed Executive Director of Business Services Patti Bowen as acting superintendent at the same May 21 meeting where it voted to place Cloninger on leave.
In addition to filling in for Cloninger, Swenson wrote that Bowen is continuing to oversee the district's business services functions with support from other staff.
Her appointment as Cloninger's temporary replacement does not currently have a set expiration date, though it could last through the fall. Cloninger's trial is currently scheduled for Oct. 19.
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