US States Rename Chávez Day After Abuse Allegations

In the wake of a New York Times investigation revealing allegations of sexual abuse by the late labor leader César Chávez, governments across the United States are moving to rename holidays and remove his name from public landmarks honoring his role in the farmworkers' rights movement. The actions, accelerated in the days leading up to the March 31 holiday marking Chávez's birthday, aim to refocus recognition on the broader labor efforts of farmworkers.

The investigation, published last week after a multiyear probe, detailed accounts from multiple women who said Chávez abused and groomed girls as young as 12 during the 1960s and 1970s while building the United Farm Workers union. Among the accusers was Dolores Huerta, the union's co-founder and longtime vice president, who described two assaults by Chávez that resulted in pregnancies. Huerta, now 95, said in a statement that she remained silent at the time to prioritize the movement's goals. "The farmworker movement has always been bigger and far more important than any one individual," she said. "César's actions do not diminish the permanent improvements achieved for farmworkers with the help of thousands of people."