LAUSD board approves resolution to rename Cesar Chavez Day, schools following allegations of abuse

The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution on Tuesday morning to rename Cesar Chavez Day and schools named after the renowned labor leader following allegations of sexual abuse.

The resolution titled "Standing with Survivors and Recognizing Farmworkers," which was introduced by board members Kelly Gonez and Rocio Rivas. It includes several provisions, including renaming Cesar Chavez Day to "Farm Workers Day" and considering renaming the Cesar Chavez Learning Academies in San Fernando and Cesar Chavez Elementary School in El Sereno.

The board said renaming the holiday will honor the collective contributions of farm workers and their impact on communities, while also supporting survivors and condemning all forms of abuse.

The resolution will ensure that the district is providing resources and counseling to survivors of sexual violence within school communities. It also instructs schools to provide accessible information to students and families about how to report incidents of sexual violence, who to contact, what to expect in the reporting process and available protections.

The resolution was introduced after a New York Times investigation revealed allegations that Chavez raped and abused women and girls. The investigation included accounts from two women who allege Chavez sexually abused them when they were children in the 1970s. Dolores Huerta, 95, who co-founded a labor organization with Chavez that would later merge with United Farm Workers, has also alleged she was raped by Chavez in the 1960s, which led to two pregnancies.

In response to The Times' investigation, the Chavez family called the allegations "deeply painful." They said they wish peace and healing to the survivors and commend them for coming forward with their stories.

"We remain committed to farmworkers and the causes he and countless others championed and continue to champion," the statement said. "We ask for understanding and privacy as we continue to process this difficult information."

Reporters from the Times interviewed more than 60 people, including some of Chavez's relatives and top aides, as well as reviewing emails, union records and photographs that corroborated the allegations. Some of the people included in the reporting rejected the claims made against Chavez.

The LA County Board of Supervisors is also expected to consider a motion to rename Cesar Chavez Day. A day after the investigation was published, LA Mayor Karen Bass signed a proclamation naming the last Monday of March in the city as "Farm Workers Day."