Background: Westdale Middle School in Baton Rouge, La. (Google Maps). Inset: Virginia Somers (East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff”s Office).
A middle school teacher in Louisiana ended up in handcuffs after a random drug check allegedly uncovered a stash of cocaine in her bag.
Virginia Somers, 47, is a math intervention teacher at Westdale Middle School in Baton Rouge. According to a probable cause report reviewed by Law&Crime, Somers was arrested on Tuesday after a K-9 with the East Baton Rouge Parish School Drug Task Force detected something suspicious in her book bag.
The dog, whose name is Vimsen, alerted the human police officer to the find. The officer inspected the bag, and then Somers’ wallet, where he found what appeared to be cocaine. A field test allegedly confirmed the cop’s suspicions.
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After Somers was read her rights, she allegedly told the officer that the cocaine belonged to a friend. Somers told police that even though the cocaine found in her wallet was not hers, she said “she did snort” it at a tailgate party outside a Louisiana State University football game the previous weekend, the affidavit said.
Police asked Somers if they could search her Honda CR-V, and she consented. According to the report, officers allegedly found marijuana and two “marijuana pipes” and lighters, all stored in a small, gray bag in the vehicle’s glove compartment.
The report said there were allegedly 0.8 grams of cocaine and 0.5 grams of marijuana confiscated from Somers.
Somers was charged with possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and violation of controlled dangerous substances in a school zone. She was scheduled to make her first appearance in court on Wednesday.
After Somers’ arrest, the East Baton Rouge Parish Public School System released a statement that was obtained by local CBS affiliate WAFB acknowledging the arrest and said, “[T]his behavior is not condoned by our district and we remain committed to maintaining a safe, secure, and drug-free environment for all students and staff.”
