School board strips superintendent of her salary but takes no position on charges against her

Karen Cloninger's lawyer, Jonny McMullen of Vancouver, represented former Olympic skater Tonya Harding in 2002 DUI case

The Longview School Board on Monday put Superintendent Karen Cloninger on unpaid leave, shifting her status from paid leave while she defends herself against allegations stemming from the district’s failure to report student sex abuse at Mark Morris High School.

School Board Vice Chair Jennifer Leach stressed that the action is in no way disciplinary.

“The board takes no position on he underlying criminal matter,“ in which Cloninger is innocent until proven guilty, Leach said toward the end of the one-hour board meeting.

Rather, she said, court conditions that bar Cloninger from speaking to students and most staff “make her legally unable to perform the essential duties” of her position, Leach said.

It wasn’t clear whether she could have performed those duties while on paid leave, either. Board President Don Wiitala declined comment and referred questions to Leach’s videotaped board meeting comments. Leach was not immediately available for comment this morning.

Cloninger’s private attorney, Jonny McMullen of Vancouver, was not immediately available to comment on how the move to strip Cloninger of her salary may affect his client.

(This story will be updated if McMullen or Leach comment later.)

Cloninger’s school district salary is $221,195 annually. Four other district administrators are on paid leave over the Mark Morris matter.

Cloninger, 58, is scheduled to enter pleas in Cowlitz Superior Court Wednesday morning to charges of tampering with a witness, failure to report child abuse, and obstructing an officer. She is expected to plead not guilty.

The charges stem from a Longview police investigation into locker room sex abuse among members of the Mark Morris varsity basketball team. Three school administrators told police that Cloninger ordered them not to report the abuse to police or child protection agencies. State law makes all educators “mandatory reporters” of suspected child abuse.

Two members of the team have pleaded innocent in Cowlitz Juvenile Court to charges of second-degree rape, unlawful imprisonment with sexual motivation, indecent liberties with forcible compulsion, and indecent exposure.

Police arrested Cloninger at the school district office on the morning of May 21. She is free on a $5,000 bail bond.

McMullen — Cloninger’s attorney — was selected to the Super Lawyers for 2020 - 2026. The selection process takes into account peer recognition, professional achievement in legal practice, and other cogent factors.

He has appeared in a number of prominent Clark County cases. He represented former Olympic ice skater Tonya Harding when she faced a 2002 drunk driving charge following a vehicle accident in Battle Ground.

McMullen also won a 2012 acquittal of a couple accused of locking two autistic boys in a dark room and in 2015 successfully defended a former police officer who had been accused of child rape.

In a press release announcing the school board’s decision to suspend Cloninger without pay, the district noted that “multiple processes are underway, including an ongoing law enforcement investigation, two district-initiated outside investigations, and related court proceedings.

“Longview School District seeks to establish a clear and complete understanding of what occurred, how the matter was handled, and what steps may be necessary to strengthen student safety measures.

“At the heart of every action is our responsibility to provide a safe, supportive learning environment for all students,” the statement concludes.