Five employees with Longview Public Schools are now on administrative leave as part of the investigation into alleged sexual assaults involving students in the Mark Morris High School varsity basketball locker room.

Those on leave include Superintendent Karen Cloninger and Executive Director of Student Services Andrew Schoonover, along with three other employees who have not been publicly identified.

In a message sent to staff yesterday, acting superintendent Patti Bowen said Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Jason Mackey will continue in his role at Mark Morris for the remainder of the school year. Bowen also announced that an additional outside investigator has been hired to review how Cloninger and other staff handled the assault allegations.

Cloninger made her first appearance in Cowlitz County Superior Court on Friday after being arrested the day before on a felony witness tampering charge, along with misdemeanor charges for failure to report and obstructing a law enforcement officer. During the hearing, she was ordered not to have contact with Longview students or witnesses named in the case. She is scheduled to return to court for arraignment on June 10. Cloninger is currently out on $5,000 bail.