Messages reveal wife knew of, shrugged off KCK student mentor’s behavior toward girls
Text messages suggest that wife of Warriors 4 Wyandotte student mentor Robert Vargas was aware of his alleged inappropriate behavior toward teenage girls, and condoned it.
“I know it’s hard to understand but Robert is a good husband and a great dad,” reads one alleged text from Lissette Vargas to an 18-year-old girl who’s worked with Vargas’ organization and who exposed his behavior in a Facebook post Sunday. “We have an understanding and I don’t hold it against you. I just ask for you to keep this between us. And if anything happens with you guys I just don’t want to know.
“It’s not like I like it and it doesn’t happen a lot. Or at least I don’t think it does,” reads another text from Mrs. Vargas. “Robert said he does hope you continue to come and hope he can make things right. Sorry we let you down.
“Could you do me a favor and keep this between us girls.”
Between us girls? A message like that makes her not only enabling but complicit.
Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools has banned her husband from school grounds and launched an investigation, along with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department.
But they aren’t only looking at him. A school district spokesperson said Tuesday, “We have seen some of the messages implying the wife may have known. We are also looking into this matter.” Neither of the Vargases could be reached for comment.
Their alleged texts, though, quickly led Wyandotte County Sheriff Daniel Soptic’s wife Carla to resign from Warriors 4 Wyandotte’s advisory board.
“That’s not something we would condone,” the sheriff said. He and his wife both read the texts from Mrs. Vargas and were horrified, he said. “That’s just not what we believe.”
It’s difficult to believe any of the organization’s advisors and directors would stick around after these disclosures — which taint not only Warriors 4 Wyandotte, but also threaten to cast a shadow over other volunteer efforts.
“Background checks aren’t going to screen everything out,” says another area mentor. “Because you just really don’t know. We really just have to keep our eyes peeled.”
Good for the students on the receiving end of inappropriate texts for refusing to keep this abuse of trust “between us girls.” You’re not one of the girls anymore, Mrs. Vargas. You’re an adult, with responsibilities to your husband’s mentees.
Time to send in the real adults to clean this mess up.