A series of events honoring labor leader Cesar Chavez has been canceled following the emergence of multiple allegations that he sexually abused several young women, many of whom were minors at the time.
🚨 Cesar Chavez, a Civil Rights Icon, Is Accused of Abusing Girls for Years
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) March 18, 2026
"An investigation by The New York Times found extensive evidence that the United Farm Workers co-founder groomed and sexually abused girls who worked in the movement." pic.twitter.com/m1u8lWCgtZ
Sexual abuse allegations against César Chávez alter plans
— Betty Yu (@bett_yu) March 18, 2026
Allegations of sexual misconduct have surfaced involving the late farm labor leader César Chávez, including accusations involving women and minors.
In a letter released Tuesday, the Cesar Chavez Foundation said the… pic.twitter.com/n8diIzc45b
According to The New York Times investigative report, one woman named Ana Murguia alleges that Chavez, who was in his 50s at the time, kissed her, pulled down her pants, and had repeated sexual encounters with her starting at age 13 over a four-year period, and warned her to keep it secret.
Another woman, identified as Ms. Rojas, says Chavez fondled her at age 12, then raped her at age 15 in a motel during a California labor march. Dolores Huerta, a United Farm Workers co-founder, disclosed that Chavez had raped her and emotionally abused her and that she had hidden two pregnancies from him.
At least a dozen other women reported pursuit, harassment, or assault, including a 36-year-old organizer raped in a grape field in 1966 and a 19-year-old who was offered a street naming for sex.
From the New York Times:
Many of the women stayed silent for decades, both out of shame and for fear of tarnishing the image of a man who has become the face of the Latino civil rights movement, his image on school murals and his birthday a state holiday in California.
The findings are based on interviews with more than 60 people, including his top aides at the time, his relatives and former members of the U.F.W., which he co-founded with Ms. Huerta and Gilbert Padilla. The Times reviewed hundreds of pages of union records, confidential emails and photographs, as well as hours of audio recordings from U.F.W. board meetings.
The accounts of abuse from Ms. Murguia and Ms. Rojas were independently verified through interviews with those they confided in decades ago and in more recent years. Elements of their stories were also corroborated in documents, emails, itineraries and other writings from union organizers, supporters of Mr. Chavez and historians.
Dolores Huerta, the co-founder of the United Farm Workers and a close ally of Chavez, came out as well, saying she had been raped by Chavez as well.
Oh my god.
— Danny Freeman (@DannyEFreeman) March 18, 2026
From @DoloresHuerta -->https://t.co/1gIkwgRZ4J pic.twitter.com/pzkPhe61VR
“We have become aware of disturbing allegations that Cesar Chavez engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior with women and minors during his time as President of the United Farm Workers of America," a statement by the Cesar Chavez Foundation read. “The Foundation is working with leaders in the Farmworker Movement to be responsive to these allegations, support the people who may have been harmed by his actions, and ensure we are united and guided by our commitment to justice and community empowerment.”
Nationwide, roughly 125 places are named after Chavez, including schools, roads, parks, and community centers, with about half located in California.
Democratic leaders, including former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, have praised Chavez as a transformative figure in the fight for labor rights. However, Chavez’s legacy has long been complicated.
In the 1970s and 1980s, his leadership took on a more authoritarian tone, marked by purges of internal dissenters and mounting financial issues within the movement. Many have attributed this shift to a turning point, following California voters' overwhelming rejection of Proposition 14, which sought to enshrine certain worker protections in the state constitution. In the years that followed, Chavez aggressively targeted internal critics and even sought guidance from controversial figures, including cult leaders, on maintaining control.
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