BUTTE — Sharyl Allen, a candidate for Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) Superintendent, is facing a misdemeanor charge in Madison County for allegedly obstructing a criminal investigation at Harrison Public School.
Allen, the superintendent-principal of Harrison Public School, reportedly unlawfully prevented law enforcement from interviewing students who had been identified as potential crime victims, according to court documents.
Court documents say on Monday, April 22, 2024, Allen prevented an agent from the Montana Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and a Madison County Sheriff's Office Captain from completing the interviews, citing a need for parental consent.
Allen also allegedly instructed staff at the school to contact parents before allowing any interviews to take place.
According to court documents, Allen told the Captain and DCI agent that she "had a working relationship with Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and his Chief of Staff Will Selph, as well as other attorneys affiliated with Knudsen."
MTN News received the following statement from the Attorney General's office:
"The DCI agents and other law enforcement officials involved were doing their jobs. The alleged comments made by Sharyl Allen regarding her relationship with the Attorney General and his staff were inappropriate. The Attorney General does not condone this type of behavior.
This is an ongoing investigation by DCI."
Allen was deputy superintendent under current OPI Superintendent Elsie Arntzen for three years. She had previously been a superintendent in Conrad and Boulder, a principal in Great Falls, and a teacher in Augusta.
MTN News has reached out to Allen for comment and will update this article with any response we receive.
