‘None of us knew’: State leaders react to disturbing allegations against César Chávez

In response to allegations of sexual abuse made in a New York Times investigation, Governor Gavin Newsom said Wednesday he is “open” to changing César Chávez Day in California to broadly reflect the movement, not the man. César Chávez Day is typically observed on March 31.

The Times article detailed multiple disturbing allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct involving young women and minors whose families were active in the farmworkers movement of the 1960s. Dolores Huerta, one of the leaders of the movement, revealed in the article that she had been abused by Chávez on two separate occasions.

“It’s been hard to absorb this. Jen and I have been very close to (Huerta) … for decades and decades and none of us knew,” Governor Gavin Newsom said in response to a reporter’s question about the situation during a Wednesday press conference. He added, “We’re just gonna have to reflect on all of that and reflect on a farmworkers movement and a labor movement that was much bigger than one man and celebrate that.”

Another reporter at Wednesday's press conference on financial literacy and access for women asked the governor if he is thinking about changing César Chávez Day, which is a state holiday. Newsom said those conversations have already begun.

“If we need to move, we’ll do so together,” Newsom said. “We’ll talk to the caucuses, there are already conversations at the staff level.”

Chávez has long been revered in California, with dozens of streets and schools named after him. Calls have begun for landmarks and streets to be renamed, and some cities have already reversed course on honoring Chávez.

“I have a lot of feelings for (Huerta) and the women who were girls during that time of violence,” First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom said in Spanish on Wednesday. She went on to say, “We have a very big problem in this world with power and men with power who do very bad things to women.”

State leaders react

Elected officials from throughout the state almost immediately supported Huerta and the two victims named in the Times story, applauding their courage and highlighting the farmworker movement was bigger than one man.

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas represents Salinas, an agricultural-focused city and the heart of the farmworker movement.

“For survivors and their families, the weight of their pain is real and ongoing,” Rivas said in a statement. “The first priority is to listen to them with humility and compassion. The farmworker movement has never been about one man; it is bigger than any one person, and its values of dignity and justice are more important now than ever. To those who have found the courage to come forward, my heart is with you.”

“The fight for justice for America's farmworkers was life-changing and real,” former California Attorney General and current gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra said in a social media post. “Clearly, there is a painful side to this story and César Chávez that we must face … we must stand behind the truth and those who live it.”

Leaders also highlighted the work United Farm Workers (UFW) continues to do to protect labor rights, and the importance of that work despite the uncovered reality of the organization’s co-founder.

“I commend the courage of these women for coming forward and sharing their agonizing stories of exploitation, sexual assault and lifelong trauma,” Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California) said in an X post. “The work that the organizers and leaders of UFW continue to do today is absolutely essential, and especially now, when immigrants and farmworker communities are under assault.”

“Thank you to the victims who found the courage and strength to share their experiences. The survivors have held onto this pain for decades, and we owe it to them to hear their voices and to honor their truth,” California Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) said in a prepared statement. “For decades, the heart of the movement has been about farmworkers, families, and allies – not one single person. That truth remains today.”

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) said in a statement Wednesday it will work toward renaming streets, post offices, vessels and any holidays named after Chávez to instead honor the farmworker community.

“We cannot celebrate a man, regardless of his accomplishments, who harmed women and children in such vile ways,” the CHC statement reads. “While it's heartbreaking when leaders are exposed as flawed beyond absolution, a just society has a duty to hold abusers accountable without exception.”