A teacher in Middle Tennessee faces drug charges after cocaine was discovered in her purse at school, raising serious concerns.
Ashland City: A sixth-grade English teacher in Middle Tennessee is in hot water after police found cocaine in her purse at school on Monday.
Mia Renee King, just 24, is now part of an ongoing drug investigation at Cheatham Middle School. The sheriff’s office got a tip that she might be bringing drugs to school, including ketamine and cocaine.
According to the report, the tip suggested she was using drugs during school hours, even stepping out during lunch to get high before returning to teach.
Officers showed up around 11:45 a.m. to check things out. The school principal brought King to his office, where they noticed she seemed anxious, drowsy, and confused.
A Drug Recognition Expert was called in to assess her. They then searched her classroom and found her purse, which contained a small clear bag often used for narcotics.
Inside her purse, they discovered two more bags with a white powdery substance and a third bag with some residue. They also found a long spoon and a rolled-up $5 bill.
Field tests showed that two of the bags tested positive for cocaine, with over 2 grams recovered. Luckily, no other drugs were found in her vehicle parked on school grounds.
King was arrested and taken to the Cheatham County Jail, where she was booked on a $5,500 bond. She’s facing multiple charges, including possession of a controlled substance and public intoxication.
It’s unclear if any students were in the classroom during the search or her arrest. The Cheatham County School District released a statement saying they were aware of the situation and had terminated her employment that same day.
They emphasized that student safety is a top priority and that they’re cooperating with the sheriff’s office during the investigation.
In other news, Cheatham Middle School has been making headlines lately for its search for a new mascot after a copyright issue with the University of Cincinnati.
They were previously known as The Bearcats but are now considering a new identity, with community support rallying behind the Xavier University Musketeers.
For more details, you can reach out to Katie Nixon at knixon@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared in the Nashville Tennessean.
