Taking action: Local residents file petition to remove Vargas

Submitting the request
Janie Lopez is seen turning in the request for Michael Vargas’ removal, surrounded by media and supporters.
(Photo by David Lopez)

By J. NOEL ESPINOZA
Special to the NEWS

Concerned residents filed a petition Tuesday with the Cameron County District Clerk’s office to remove Michael A. Vargas as president of the San Benito Consolidated Independent School District Board of Trustees.

Present to file the petition were Janie Lopez, Oscar Medrano, Rosalinda G. Garcia, and Sandra Tumberlinson. In the request, petitioners cite Vargas’s July 5 driving-while-intoxicated charge in Harlingen and the board’s changes to school board policy in an effort to allegedly retain Vargas’s position as board president.

According to the petition, the goal is now to involuntarily remove Vargas from office.

Filed in Brownsville, supporters of the petition were also joined by supporters of another petition to remove Erasmo Castro, a school board member of the Brownsville Independent School District, who was also arrested by Brownsville police for the same charges, “driving while intoxicated,” on Sept. 2.

The News asked Vargas for comment regarding the petition, but he refused during Tuesday’s special board meeting. In a text message, Vargas said, “Any questions on the matter posed, refer to my legal counsel, Dan Sanchez.”

Sanchez said he recommended to Vargas not to make any comments to the media.

The petition filed with Cameron County District Clerk Eric Garza was supposed to go to 107th State District Judge Ben Euresti, but he recused himself, saying that he cannot handle the case because Vargas is a well-known member of the community, according to Garza. The petition was sent to judge Missy Medary in Nueces County.

The removal of a school board member can be initiated by petition to the judge of the state district court where the trustee resides.

“We have to go to that other step since [the school board] weren’t able to reorganize,” said Rosalinda G. Garcia, one of the petitioners and a resident of San Benito who usually attends board meetings. “The majority voted and then they changed policy.”

Editor’s note: This article has been edited for length. To read the full story, click here or make sure to grab a copy at one of our various newspaper racks.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2019/09/26/taking-action-local-residents-file-petition-to-remove-vargas/

3 comments

    • Time For Change on September 28, 2019 at 3:52 pm
    • Reply

    Garcia, Tumberlinson you and your sister should run against these morons that want Vargas to stay and gave Nate the Crook that bump in raise for doing nothing… in the same get rid of certain principals.. who ruin teachers’ careers!.. some of you know who they are. Nate the Crook only looks out for himself not the employees .. just like some principals.

    • Jerry Leigh Louis on September 27, 2019 at 8:44 am
    • Reply

    They are in an unofficial paid postion, as some of them are receiving kickbacks. Carmen covers his tracks pretty good, wife being a lawyer, and he doing this before. The others, however, are not as smart as they lead on to be.

    Vargas needs this position to keep feeding his very hungry ego.

    • Community Organizer on September 26, 2019 at 3:31 pm
    • Reply

    Looks like the THREE AMIGOS picked a FIGHT WITH PROMINENT MEMBERS of the Community. So I say myself, why wouldn’t the Board President step down? It’s NOT A PAID POSITION or is it? Why does Nati, Papas, and Jetas control the Board? I thought that we were past the COMPADRISMO in our district? Why does Nati want special addems to his contract?
    Does he fear a reprisal from the NEXT BOARD? I’m beginning to THINK these 3 AMIGOS are protecting something they’ve done. Is it time to bring in the TX Rangers? Member the majority of these contractors are from Hidalgo. We ALL KNOW HOW HIDALGO WORKS!

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