MONROVIA – Mr. Douglas Matthew Vargas, aka. Matt V, a former American Peace Corps in Liberia, was reportedly found dead in his apartment on Monday, after being confronted by the Our Lady of Grace International School for allegedly sending nudes and indecent messages to minor female students, the school has disclosed.
He was an instructor at the school.
Vargas also worked with More Than Me – an American Charity that ran 19 schools in Liberia. The organization later became embroiled in series of rape scandals involving minors – girls from the slum communities of Monrovia. Two male staff of the organization were reportedly involved in the scandal.
Vargas was one of few male instructors that worked with More Than Me.
Investigation from Pro-Publica discovered Katie Meyler, founder of the school, played a key role in covering sexual abuse allegations against her boyfriend and co-founder, Macintosh Johnson.
Vargas Kills Himself?
In a statement issued Monday, Our Lady of Grace School indicated that upon receiving the complaint of Vargas act over the weekend, the administration immediately contacted him, having launched an internal investigation. According to the school, Vargas was informed of the consequences should the complaint turn out to be true. He was also asked to file a written statement to the investigation committee.
“Today, December 20, 2021, several calls were placed to the instructor, both from the administration of the school and the school’s legal counsel for investigation into the complaint of sexual harassment; but the instructor’s phone rang endlessly without a response; and upon arrival of his house attendant who was asked for a key to his house, it was established that the door was locked from the inside, thus prompting administration to contact the Liberia National Police, who upon arrival at the instructor’s house, managed to gain entrance and discovered his lifeless body,” the school disclosed in the statement.
The police are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.
FrontPageAfrica gathered that one of those who received nude photos from the deceased instructor is the granddaughter of the Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor. Though the Vice President could not be reached for comments, one of her aides told FPA that the Vice President was enraged by the teacher’s action.
Vargas volunteered with Peace Corps in Liberia in 2013/2014.
Meanwhile, while some parents are questioning how a man with such a character was allowed to have work for the Peace Corps which gave him direct access to vulnerable children. Others have expressed concern why Our Lady of Grace International School employed a man from an institution in which two of the male instructors were discovered to have been preying on vulnerable girls from the slum communities.
