Tainted legacy: César Chávez sexual abuse allegations prompt leaders to cancel events, pursue justice for survivors

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Cesar Chavez in 1972, public domain image by Cornelius M. Keyes via National Archives and Records Administration                                          

March 18, 2026 (San Diego) – Latino leaders across the state and nation are expressing shock after a bombshell investigation by the New York Times revealed evidence of sexual abuse against women and girls by  César Chávez , famed cofounder of the United Farmworkers Union and a prominent national leader of the Latino rights movement who died in 1993.

Many organizations have cancelled celebrations planned for César Chávez  Day on March 31, a state holiday honoring Chávez ’s birthday. Some California leaders are calling for the holiday and venues honoring Chávez  to be revised to commemorate the actions of all farmworkers instead, while assuring that  the UFW's work to protect farmworkers will continue.

The allegations

The Times interviewed several woman who alleged that Chávez  groomed them and sexually assaulted them, including daughters of volunteers who were in their young teens at the time, as well as UFW cofounder Dolores Huerta.  Two of the women who alleged they were raped or molested by Chávez  in their early teens told relatives about it at the time, the family members told the Times. The report also found DNA evidence proving that Chávez  fathered several children outside of his marriage.

Ana Murguia said Chávez  kissed her and pulled her pants down when she was only 13.  He was 41.   According to Murguia, Chávez  sexually abused her for years, leading her to attempt suicide several times by age 15.

Another woman, Debra Rojas, said she was 12 when Chávez  first groped her breasts; he invited her to a motel at 15, when he committed statutory rape since sex with a minor is a crime. She came forward after learning that a street near her home was slated to be named after Chávez .

Dolores Huerta, who cofounded the  UFW with Chávez , kept a dark secret for more than 50 years. Now 96, Huerta described Chávez  pressuring her to have sex with him in 1960 and later, raping her in his vehicle after driving her to a secluded grape field.  DNA evidence reveals that Huerta gave birth to two of Chávez ’s illegitimate children, giving the babies to others to raise.

“Unfortunately, he used some of his great leadership to abuse women and children—it’s really awful,” said Huerta, who indicated she was unaware of allegations involving minors at the time, the New York Times reports.

All of the women kept quiet for years, partly out of shame, and partly due to pressure to protect the legacy of Chávez , who was nationally hailed as a hero for successfully fighting for better pay and working conditions for farmworkers, as well as emerging as a leader in the Latino rights movement.

Chávez ’s affairs with adult women were previously documented in two biographies, though neither mentioned abuse of minors.

The Times interviewed 60 people, including staffers who worked with Chávez; some expressed shock, and a few indicated they did not believe the allegations.

The reactions from California leaders

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) issued this statement. 

“These are heartbreaking, horrific accounts of abuse. I stand with the survivors, commend them for their bravery in sharing their stories, and condemn the abhorrent actions they described. The survivors deserve to be heard. They deserve to be supported. They deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.”

He added, “here must be zero tolerance for abuse, exploitation, and the silencing of victims, no matter who is involved.  Confronting painful truths and ensuring accountability is essential to honoring the very values the greater farm worker movement stands for—values rooted in dignity and justice for all.”

 Edgar D. Rodriguez, deputy communications director for Senator Padilla, told East County Magazine that Senator Padilla supports removing Chávez ’ name from landmarks, institutions, and honors.  “As the lead sponsor of the César Chávez and the Farmworker Movement National Historical Park Act, Senator Padilla will move to rename and rework the legislation in honor of farm workers, out of respect for the victims and as an initial step toward accountability.”

The César Chávez Foundation has cancelled the annual  César Chávez March for Justice, adding that it is working with the UFW to create a “safe and confidential process” for victims to share their experiences, Politico reports.

The California Hispanic Legislative Caucus cochairs Suzette Martinez Valladares and Assemblymember Kate Sanchez, both Republicans, issued a statement indicating the legislators stand with survivors, adding that the allegations are “deeply serious and deserve to be treated as such by every institution connected to his name and legacy. Accountability cannot be set side in deference to legacy; no historical significance exempts any individual from that standard. We call on California’s leaders to act accordingly.”

Lorena Gonzalez, a former San Diego state legislator, union leader and daughter of a farmworker, helped bring the UFW into as the California Labor Federation which she heads up. In a college essay about the Delano grape strike and boycott led by Chávez , she wrote in in 2014, “There is nobody who has had a more profound place in my life than the role of César Chávez .  In In 2019, she wrote legislation to extend the statute of limitations for lawsuits about childhood sex abuse.

Today, Gonzalez told the New York Times she wept upon learning of the allegations against Chávez .  Just devastated,,” she said, but vowed, “The work for farmworkers has to go on.”

The United Farm Workers, in a statement, indicated it will not be participating in any César Chávez Day activities.  “Instead, we call on our allies and supporters to take part in immigration justice events and acts of service to support farmworkers or empower vulnerable people in their own communities,” the statement said.

The UFW  called the sexual abuse allegations “deeply troubling” and said the actions alleged are “incompatible with our organization’s values” but added that it has no firsthand knowledge of the allegations. The UFW indicated it is setting up an independent, confidential channel for those who want to share experiences of harm and participate in a collective process to develop mechanisms for “repair and accountability.”

The UFW noted that farmworkers today are winning new contracts, and the UFW is “fighting to protect immigrant communities from the wage cuts, violence and attacks farm workers face today .The work to support the farm workers who feed our nation is more important than ever, and this work will continue.”