Cesar Chavez Day Events in Limbo or Canceled in Wake of Sex Abuse Allegations

"After the publication of the Times investigation, Huerta released a shocking statement that Chávez had forced her to have sex with him on two occasions in the 1960s: 'I can no longer stay silent.' 'I have kept this secret long enough. My silence ends here,' she said. Huerta, who turns 96 next month, lives in Delano in California's Central Valley."

"San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said Tuesday that 'given Chavez's ties to San Jose, we want to ensure we are not further traumatizing anyone who may have experienced harm, and are reassessing city involvement in events associated with the state holiday until we learn more.'"

"Mahan, along with Councilmembers Pamela Campos, Peter Ortiz and Domingo Candelas, said today the city will initiate a process 'to identify locations, monuments, and other sites bearing Chavez's name or likeness and drive a community-driven initiative that appropriately honors the broader farmworker justice movement without causing further harm to survivors.'"

The United Farm Workers and César Chávez Foundation canceled participation in César Chávez Day celebrations following revelations of sexual abuse allegations detailed in The New York Times investigation. Co-founder Dolores Huerta disclosed that Chávez forced her to have sex with him twice in the 1960s, ending her decades of silence. César Chávez Day, established as a state holiday in 2000 and federal commemorative holiday in 2014, now faces widespread reconsideration. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan announced the city will reassess involvement in holiday events and initiate a community-driven process to identify and address locations and monuments bearing Chávez's name, prioritizing survivor protection while honoring the farmworker justice movement.

Read at San Jose Inside