César Chavez accused of sexually abusing labor rights leader Dolores Huerta and others

Labor rights activistic Dolores Huerta revealed she was among women and girls who accidental they were sexually abused by César Chavez, the wide admired Latino icon who brought to airy the struggles of farmhands portion starring the United Farm Workers union.

The stunning allegations against Chavez, who died much than 3 decades ago, drew contiguous calls to change memorials honoring the antheral who successful the 1960s helped unafraid amended wages and moving conditions for farmworkers and has been agelong revered by galore Democratic leaders successful the U.S.

In a connection released Wednesday, Huerta said she stayed soundless for 60 years retired of interest that her words would wounded the farmworker movement.

Huerta described 2 intersexual encounters with Chavez, 1 wherever she was “manipulated and pressured” and different wherever she was “forced against my will.”

“I carried this concealed for arsenic agelong arsenic I did due to the fact that gathering the question and securing farmworker rights was life’s work. The enactment of a national was the lone conveyance to execute and unafraid those rights and I wasn’t going to fto César oregon anyone other get successful the way,” she said.

Huerta, who is simply a labour rights fable successful her ain right, joined Chavez successful 1962 to co-found the National Farm Workers Association, which became the United Farm Workers of America.

For many, they were akin to Martin Luther King. Jr. and Rosa Parks due to the fact that of their enactment advocating for radical equality and civilian rights.

The New York Times archetypal reported Wednesday that it recovered Chavez groomed and sexually abused young girls who worked successful the movement. Huerta, too, revealed to the paper that she was a unfortunate of the maltreatment successful her 30s.

Huerta aboriginal said some intersexual encounters with Chavez led to pregnancies, which she kept secret, and that she arranged for the children to beryllium raised by different families. “No 1 knew the afloat information astir however they were conceived until conscionable a fewer weeks ago,” she said successful her statement.

Huerta said she did not cognize that Chavez wounded different women and condemned his actions but emphasized that the farmworker question is bigger than 1 person.

“César’s actions bash not diminish the imperishable improvements achieved for farmworkers with the assistance of thousands of people,” Huerta said successful her statement. “We indispensable proceed to prosecute and enactment our community, which needs advocacy and activism present much than ever.”

Chavez's household said successful a connection that they are devastated by the quality and “wish bid and healing to the survivors and commend their courageousness to travel forward.”

“We transportation our ain memories of the idiosyncratic we knew. Someone whose beingness included enactment and contributions that substance profoundly to galore people,” the connection said.

Leaders reconsider celebrations honoring Chavez

Streets, schools and parks crossed the Southwest carnivore Chavez’s name. California became the archetypal authorities to commemorate his birthday, and successful 2014, then-President Barack Obama proclaimed March 31 arsenic nationalist César Chavez Day.

President Joe Biden had a bronze bust of Chavez installed successful the Oval Office erstwhile helium moved into the White House. Neither Biden nor Obama person yet commented connected the allegations.

But otherwise, reactions Wednesday were swift from galore successful some parties.

Days earlier the allegations were revealed publicly, respective César Chavez celebrations successful San Francisco, Texas and successful his location authorities of Arizona were canceled astatine the petition of the César Chavez Foundation. Organizers of canceled events did not instantly respond to requests for remark from The Associated Press.

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the authorities volition not observe the César Chavez Day vacation and that helium volition impulse the authorities Legislature to region it altogether.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said helium was inactive processing the news. The Democratic politician wouldn’t perpetrate to making immoderate changes to the authorities holiday, saying the farmworker question was overmuch much than Chavez. “It’s astir labor. It’s astir societal justice, economical justice, radical justice.”

A spokesperson for Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said she has declined to admit March 31 arsenic César Chavez Day arsenic she has successful the 2 anterior years. César Chavez Day isn’t a authorities vacation successful Arizona.

Next week, the Phoenix City Council is acceptable to ballot connected whether to rename the March 31 holiday, arsenic good arsenic buildings and metropolis streets that carnivore Chavez’s name. The politician and 2 metropolis assembly members privation the vacation to beryllium renamed Farmworkers Day.

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller ordered a reappraisal of however Chavez is recognized crossed the city. And U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, a New Mexico Democrat, said: “His sanction should beryllium removed from landmarks, institutions and honors."

Born successful Yuma, Arizona, Chavez grew up successful a Mexican American household that traveled astir California picking lettuce, grapes, fabric and different seasonal crops. He died successful California successful 1993 astatine property 66.

Chavez is known nationally for his aboriginal organizing successful the fields, a hunger strike, a grape boycott and eventual triumph successful getting growers to negociate with farmworkers for amended wages and moving conditions.

The César Chavez Foundation pledged unequivocal enactment for the labour leader’s victims connected Wednesday and said that -- with the Chavez family’s enactment -- the enactment volition fig retired its individuality going forward.

“We are committed to restorative justness and healing for those who person been harmed, and to guarantee our enactment reflects the dignity and information each idiosyncratic deserves,” the instauration said successful a statement.

Latino civilian rights leaders measurement allegations

Latino leaders and assemblage groups are present weighing the interaction of Chavez's actions connected the labour rights question portion emphasizing that the farmworker question was led by thousands who came unneurotic to combat for justice.

The League of United Latin American Citizens, a civilian rights organization, released a connection condemning immoderate signifier of intersexual violence, stating that “no individual, careless of statue oregon bequest is supra accountability.” Similarly, leaders from the nonprofit Voto Latino said successful a connection that nary substance his bequest oregon humanities framing Chavez’s actions are inexcusable. But, they said, the quality does not erase the enactment done by others.

“The women who organized, marched, and sacrificed alongside farmworkers carried this question connected their backs,” Voto Latino said.

U.S. Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández, seat of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, issued a connection saying she was heartbroken and profoundly disturbed by the stories of women who accidental they were abused.

The United Farm Workers national rapidly distanced itself from yearly celebrations of its founder, calling the allegations troubling.

In a connection Tuesday, the national said allegations of “abuse of young women oregon minors” were concerning capable to impulse radical astir the state to enactment successful migration justness events oregon acts of work alternatively of the emblematic events successful March to commemorate Chavez’s legacy.

___

Associated Press writers Susan Montoya Bryan successful Albuquerque, New Mexico; Hallie Golden successful Seattle; Trân Nguyễn successful Sacramento, Calif.; Dorany Pineda successful Los Angeles; Felicia Fonseca and Jacques Billeaud successful Arizona contributed to this report.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.