A middle school teacher in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has been arrested after a random drug search on campus allegedly uncovered cocaine in her belongings and marijuana in her car.
According to police, the School Drug Task Force conducted a routine K-9 search at Westdale Middle School on Tuesday when a dog alerted officers to a bag near the teacher’s desk. The teacher was later identified as 47-year-old Virginia Somers of Florida, who has been in education for 13 years and teaching math intervention at Westdale for the past two years.
Authorities say cocaine was discovered inside Somers’ wallet, which was in her bag. She reportedly admitted to police that a friend gave her the drugs during an LSU football tailgate and that she had participated in using cocaine at the event.
When investigators later searched Somers’ vehicle, they allegedly found marijuana, pipes, and lighters inside a bag in the glove compartment.
Somers was arrested and booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on multiple charges, including:
- Possession of a Schedule II drug (cocaine)
- Violations of controlled dangerous substances in a school zone
- Possession of marijuana
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
In a statement, the East Baton Rouge Parish School System emphasized that the incident does not reflect the district’s values.
“Please be assured that this 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,” the district said.
Somers, who has worked as a teacher for more than a decade, now faces serious legal consequences following the arrest.
