A middle school math teacher in Baton Rouge was arrested this week after a random drug check on campus allegedly turned up cocaine in her possession. Virginia Somers, 47, who worked as a math intervention teacher at Westdale Middle School, was taken into custody on Tuesday after a police K-9 named Vimsen alerted officers to her book bag during a sweep by the East Baton Rouge Parish School Drug Task Force. An officer searched Somers’ bag and later her wallet, where he allegedly found a small amount of cocaine. A field test reportedly confirmed the substance.
Holding It For A Friend
Seized narcotics including crack cocaine and an assortment of pills among others during a press conference at the Montgomery Police Department s Criminal Investigations office in Montgomery, Ala., on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022.
After being read her rights, Somers allegedly told officers the cocaine belonged to a friend but admitted to having used it herself at a tailgate party before a Louisiana State University football game the prior weekend. Police said she gave consent to search her car, a Honda CR-V, where officers reported finding marijuana, two pipes, and lighters in the glove compartment. All told, authorities said they seized roughly 0.8 grams of cocaine and 0.5 grams of marijuana. Somers was arrested on charges of possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and violating controlled substances laws within a school zone. She was scheduled for her first court appearance on Wednesday.
The School Isn’t Happy
Police barricade tape seals off the scene of a police-involved shooting along Ninth and Kirwood streets in Wilmington on Jan. 28, 2025.
In a statement released Tuesday evening, the East Baton Rouge Parish Public School System emphasized 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.” Officials did not specify Somers’ employment status following the arrest, but the district noted it was cooperating with law enforcement.
Think of the Children
A press conference was held at the Melbourne Police Department Thursday morning with multiple law enforcement agencies in attendance. A multi-agency drug task force that targeted drug traffickers in Brevard County named Operation Spring Cleaning resulted in 64 arrests, the seizure of more than $130,000 and large amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine, cannabis, and illegal prescription drugs. Operation Spring Cleaning
Will this case lead to sweeping campus reforms? Probably not. The one thing we can be sure of is that this case will follow Virginia Somers for the rest of her life. And for the school district, their goal should be working to reassure families that the safety of their children hasn’t been compromised.
