The Toutle Lake School District security guard who was recently let go for inappropriate conduct involving students was arrested yesterday by the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office.

Chief Criminal Deputy Jordan Spencer says a deputy responded to the school on October 24th after a report from a concerned parent claiming that 47-year-old Ashlynn Smith was supplying vape products to students and vaping with them. This resulted in an investigation involving several student and parent interviews, phone and text message records, and collaboration with the school district. Eventually, probable cause was established showing that Smith was confiscating vaping devices from students, keeping them in her office, and then allowing several students to use the nicotine vapes while in her office.

Rumors of this conduct eventually started to spread throughout the school, which allegedly led to Smith telling students they would face consequences and get in trouble if they reported her. She also allegedly directed the involved students to lie to school administrators and asked one student to write an email to the school claiming the rumors of Smith’s involvement were not true.

The investigation also found that Smith allegedly used the school’s student information system without authorization to look up personal and family information on students in an effort to intimidate them or interfere with reports of the alleged activity.

Smith has been booked into the Cowlitz County Jail on charges including two counts of intimidating a witness, three counts of tampering with a witness, two counts of electronic data theft, and five counts of selling or giving tobacco to a minor.