CHICAGO — The Latino community in Chicago is grappling with shocking allegations of sexual abuse against Cesar Chavez, a revered figure in civil rights and farm labor history.
A thorough investigation by The New York Times has uncovered claims of long-standing abuse and grooming involving young women and underage girls within the movement Chavez once led.
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The revelations have left local leaders reeling with disbelief and indignation.
These explosive allegations against Chavez, who passed away in 1993, challenge the heroic narrative many have associated with his legacy, creating a complex dialogue about his true impact.
“I am at a loss for words—the horror, the hypocrisy, the misogyny, the abuse of power by someone seen as a revered icon,” said Sylvia Puente, the former CEO of the Latino Policy Forum.
Throughout the 1970s, Chavez was celebrated as a champion for civil rights, advocating for farm workers and immigrants.
Puente calls the Times investigation that uncovered the allegations against Chavez his moral death. And it’s personal for her, as her parents were farm workers who picked blueberries and apples.
“As a high school student, I picketed grocery stores. I went to marches. I worked with organizers. So it was very much my political and social formation, as well as my formation around justice and equity,” Puente said.
In Chicago, there are now questions about whether the school named after Chavez in the Back of the Yards neighborhood should be renamed.
At the Haymarket Memorial that commemorates labor struggles through the years, a plaque that honored Chavez is now covered over with black tape.
And in the Southport Corridor, a mural outside Cafe Tola honoring Chavez will be repainted with a picture of Dolores Huerta, according to the restaurant’s head of operations.
Huerta co-founded the National Farmworkers Association with Chavez in the 60s. She came forward after learning of the allegations others made about him.
Huerta, now 95, alleges Chavez pressured her to have sex with him in her 20s and later raped her, according to the Times.
“For me, I think it’s, it’s an opportunity to take a step back, reflect, take a deep breath and ask, how do we heal after the abuse? And how do we hold leaders such as César Chavez accountable?” said Angela Anderson Guerrero, president and CEO of Mujeres Latinas en Accion.
“Everything that’s named César Chavez, in my opinion, should be renamed Dolores Huerta. Or it should be the people’s movement of for justice and equity,” Puente said.
In a statement, a Chicago Public Schools spokesperson said, “District and school leaders work with faculty, staff, families and students to create inclusive and respectful school environments. Leadership at Cesar E. Chavez Multicultural Academic Center has begun the process of soliciting feedback from its school community on the decision to consider a school name change and will need to take any recommendation to its local school council for review as part of the comprehensive process that is detailed in Board policy here. If the Cesar E. Chavez Multicultural Academic Center does initiate a name change, it will go through this open and public process to ensure that a new school name represents the values of its school community.”
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