Several events honoring Cesar Chavez have now been canceled or renamed
New allegations have surfaced against Cesar Chavez, the late American labor leader and civil rights activist, following an investigation by The New York Times.
Two women claim Chavez sexually abused them as children in the 1970s while he led the United Farm Workers. One woman alleges rape at age 15, while another says he groped her at 13.
Dolores Huerta, a well-known co-activist alongside Chavez, has also accused him of raping her in 1966, saying she stayed silent for decades to protect the farmworker movement. She revealed the encounters led to pregnancies and births that she kept secret.
The report cites interviews with over 60 people and supporting records.
Chavez died in 1993 at the age of 66. Some of his former associates deny the allegations. The United Farm Workers called the claims “crushing” and said it is reviewing the matter. Several events honoring Chavez have now been canceled or renamed.