John Muir Middle School math teacher arrested after cocaine found in vehicle on school property

WAUSAU – A Wausau School District staff member was arrested Thursday afternoon at John Muir Middle School for drug possession on school property.

Nevan Larson, a math teacher at the school, is expected to appear in court Friday afternoon, according to a news release from Diana White, communication coordinator for the Wausau School District.

The school resource officer at the middle school received a tip Thursday that a teacher may have cocaine in their vehicle, according to a Friday news release from Ben Graham, captain of investigations for the Wausau Police Department.

Larson was identified and his vehicle was located and sniffed by a K9, which resulted in a positive alert. During a search of the vehicle, about one gram of a substance suspected to be cocaine was found, according to the police department. A test of the substance was positive for cocaine, the release said.

Larson was then arrested on school property and taken to Marathon County Jail, according to the police department.

There are no indications any Wausau School District students are involved at this point, according to the school district, though the investigation is ongoing.

Larson has been placed on a leave of absence while the investigation continues, according to the school district.

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Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA-TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and values his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Reach him at epfantz@gannett.com or connect with him on X (formerly Twitter) @ErikPfantz.

This article originally appeared on Wausau Daily Herald: John Muir Middle School teacher arrested after cocaine found in vehicle