Wave of Cesar Chavez events pulled as 'troubling allegations' made against civil rights leader

A wave of events honoring Cesar Chavez have been pulled amid “troubling
allegations” made against the civil rights leader. 

The United Farm Workers union said in a statement on Tuesday it will
halt celebrations after learning of “profoundly shocking” allegations
against one of the union’s Chicano founders. 

The union pointed out claims have been made that Chavez “behaved in ways
that are incompatible with our organization’s values. 

Chavez is a historic figure in California, where he rocketed to fame
fighting for labor rights for migrant farm workers. He has schools,
roads and public buildings named after him in the state. 

He has also been honored by presidents for his activism, most recently
by Joe Biden, who placed a bronze bust of him in the Oval Office during
his presidency. 

The union’s statement delivers a reassessment of someone many consider a
legend. 

“Some of the reports are family issues, and not our story to tell or our
place to comment on,” it read. “Far more troubling are allegations
involving abuse of young women or minors.” 

Those allegations include that “very young women or girls may have been
victimized,” by its founder. 

The statement pointed out that the union itself “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 statement went on to point out that in response the union “will not
be taking part in any Cesar Chavez Day activities,” planned across the
country. 

These damning statements and cancellations come as The New York Times is
set to publish the results of a years-long investigation into his past,
sources in Tucson and Texas told the Sentinel, a local paper. 

Instead the group encouraged their supporters and allies to take part in
“immigration justice events and acts of service to support farmworkers
or empower vulnerable people in their own communities.” 

The union said it will establish an external, confidential channel for
those who may have experienced harm by Chavez to be able to “share their
experiences of harm, to identify their current impacts and needs, and,
if desired, to participate in a collective process to develop mechanisms
for repair and accountability.” 

The statement followed news of cancellations on Monday of events that
had been planned in Houston, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Tucson, San
Francisco and others across the country. 

Chavez has been hailed as a hero of migrant farm workers in California,
bursting onto the scene in the 1960’s. Chavez, Dolores Huerta, Larry
Itliong, Gilbert Padilla, and other early organizers, founded the United
Farm Workers of America in 1962, according to its website. 

In 2012, former President Barack Obama established the César E. Chávez
National Monument at Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz (La Paz), Chávez’s
home and headquarters. This designation made the site the 398th unit of
the National Park Service and the first to honor a contemporary Latino
American. 

The civil rights leader died in 1993.

The Cesar Chavez foundation released a similar statement on Tuesday
about the allegations. 

“The Cesar Chavez Foundation has become aware of disturbing allegations
that Cesar Chavez engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior with women
and minors during his time as President of the United Farm Workers of
America (UFW),” the statement read. 

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by what we are hearing.”

The foundation said it was “working with leaders in the Farmworker
Movement to be responsive to these allegations, support the people who
may have been harmed by his actions, and ensure we are united and guided
by our commitment to justice and community empowerment.” 

The Post has reached out to the UFW and Chavez foundation for comment.

https://nypost.com/2026/03/17/us-news/union-cancels-caesar-chavez-day-eve
nts-amid-troubling-allegations-against-civil-rights-leader/