SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Local organizations responded to allegations that labor icon César Chávez sexually assaulted female followers as young as 12 in the 1970s, and raped United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta, now 95, in 1966, according to an explosive New York Times investigation released Wednesday.
The San Diego Community College District, which has a César E. Chávez Campus in Barrio Logan, along César E. Chávez Parkway, said it is reviewing a potential renaming of the campus.
"These reports are deeply concerning, and our thoughts are with everyone impacted," a district statement read. "SDCCD is committed to providing a safe, respectful environment for all, and we do not tolerate sexual misconduct or abuse of any kind. As we assess current and new information, SDCCD will prioritize feedback from our community and upholding our values of safety, dignity, and respect for all."
San Diego not only has a major thoroughfare in Barrio Logan named after Chávez, but the San Diego Unified School District has an elementary school in Southcrest named after him.
The story was published one day after the UFW and the César Chávez Foundation announced that they will abstain from honoring the late labor leader on this year's state holiday on March 31, citing "disturbing allegations."
The Times said its story was based on interviews with more than 60 people, including top Chávez aides at the time, his relatives and former members of the UFW.
The story quotes a woman who says Chávez took her into his office when he was 45 and she was 13, kissed her and pulled her pants down. She said dozens of sexual encounters followed over the next four years, though she says none involved intercourse.
Another woman says she was 12 when Chávez groped her breast, and 15 when he arranged to have her stay at a motel during a march through California and had sexual intercourse with her.
Both women were the daughters of organizers who had marched in rallies alongside Chávez, according to the Times. The story claims that Chávez used other women in the farm labor movement for "sexual gratification."
The Times said accounts of alleged abuse of the two then-minors were independently verified through interviews with those they confided in decades ago and also in more recent years. Elements of their stories were also corroborated in documents, emails, itineraries and other writings from union organizers, supporters of Chávez and historians, the story says.
Huerta, who will turn 96 on April 10, told the newspaper that Chávez drove her to a secluded grape field in Delano, California, in 1966 and raped her in the vehicle. She said she never reported the attack out of concerns for police hostility toward Chávez and the labor movement, and because she feared she wouldn't be believed.
"Unfortunately, he used some of his great leadership to abuse women and children -- it's really awful," Huerta told the Times.
The charges came as a shock to admirers of Chávez, long considered one of the leading American civil rights figures of the 20th century, and a Latino icon.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said the accusations are "shocking" and "disturbing."
"Our first concern must be with the survivors who have come forward and those who were unable to do so. Their courage in speaking out -- often at great personal cost -- ought to be recognized, respected, and supported," he said. "The hard-fought progress the farmworker-rights movement has achieved over the past six decades is a collective accomplishment. Generations of organizers and workers have advanced dignity, safety, and fairness in the fields, improving lives across our state and nation. That legacy belongs to the movement and to the people who carried it forward."
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, called the allegations "heartbreaking" and "horrific."
"I stand with the survivors, commend them for their bravery in sharing their stories, and condemn the abhorrent actions they described," Padilla said in a statement. "The survivors deserve to be heard. They deserve to be supported. They deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. There 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."
On Tuesday, the UFW and the César Chávez Foundation issued separate but related statements stating that they will not organize or participate in events celebrating César Chávez Day, which is typically observed on the same day as his birthday.
The UFW encouraged supporters to instead participate in immigration justice events and acts of service to support farmworkers or empower vulnerable people in their communities.
The union said it learned of allegations that Chávez behaved in ways that are incompatible with the organization's values.
"Some of the reports are family issues, and not our story to tell or our place to comment on. Far more troubling are allegations involving abuse of young women or minors," the UFW said in a statement.
"Allegations that very young women or girls may have been victimized are crushing. We have not received any direct reports, and we do not have any firsthand knowledge of these allegations. However, the allegations are serious enough that we feel compelled to take urgent steps to learn more and provide space for people who may have been victimized to find support and to share their stories if that is what they choose."
The César Chávez Foundation echoed those sentiments, adding its members are "deeply shocked and saddened by what we are hearing."
Both organizations said they are developing a "safe and confidential process" for individuals to share their experiences of possible harm, and if they choose to, participate in efforts toward repair and reconciliation.
"In addition, we are investing time and resources to ensure the Foundation promotes and strengthens a workplace culture that is safe and welcoming for all," the Foundation said in its statement. "We ask for our community's patience as we learn more. Throughout this process, our organization and our partners in the movement will continue our work together to protect and uplift the families and communities that we serve."
The UFW added it will take time to get the process right, which is expected to include trauma-informed services to those who may need it.
"We understand this will be tremendously painful for many and we encourage our community to seek mental health support if they experience distress," UFW officials said. "Today's UFW is a modern and progressive labor union and we will seek to learn from our history."
Chávez died in 1993 at age 66.
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