Math Teacher Arrested After Drug Dog Detects Cocaine: Police Report

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, age 47, works as a math intervention teacher at Westdale Middle School in Baton Rouge. As per a probable cause report accessed by Law&Crime, Somers faced arrest on Tuesday after a K-9 from the East Baton Rouge Parish School Drug Task Force detected suspicious contents in her book bag.

The canine, named Vimsen, alerted the accompanying human police officer about this finding. Upon inspection, the officer checked Somers’ wallet where they discovered a substance suspected to be cocaine. A field test allegedly confirmed these suspicions.

After being informed of her rights, Somers reportedly told the officer that the cocaine belonged to a friend. Despite claiming the cocaine discovered in her wallet wasn’t hers, Somers allegedly admitted to having “snorted” it during a tailgate party outside a Louisiana State University football game the prior weekend, according to the affidavit.

When police requested to search her Honda CR-V, Somers agreed. The report indicates that officers allegedly uncovered marijuana, two “marijuana pipes,” and lighters, all kept in a small, gray bag located 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, possession of drug paraphernalia, and violating controlled dangerous substances in a school zone. Her first court appearance was scheduled for Wednesday.

Following Somers’ arrest, the East Baton Rouge Parish Public School System issued a statement obtained by local CBS affiliate WAFB, acknowledging the arrest. The statement emphasized, “[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.”