Rape, Child Molestation Allegations Against Cesar Chavez Rock Labor Union Community: What To Know

LOS ANGELES, CA — Allegations of sexual assault, including the abuse of multiple minors, threatened to unravel the legacy of California's labor rights icon Cesar Chavez Wednesday. Among his accusers is civil rights leader Dolores Huerta, his one-time right hand in the movement and an icon in her own right.

A New York Times investigation into the late labor leader brought to light intimate details allegations of abuse conducted behind closed doors but long considered an open secret.

Following unspecified reports of abuse on Tuesday, the United Farm Workers of America (UFW) announced it would suspend all of its events for the annual Cesar Chavez Day. On Wednesday, the Times released its report naming women who claim Chavez sexually abused them when they were as young as 13-years-old. Huerta issued her own statement, accusing Chavez of twice impregnating her, once by force and once under duress.

The Cesar Chavez Foundation also released a statement on Tuesday, which accused Chavez of engaging in sexual misconduct while he was president of the United Farm Workers of America.

The New York Times investigation released on Wednesday said Chavez "groomed and sexually abused girls who worked in the movement."

In the report, three women accused Chavez of sexual abuse, including Huerta, the 96-year-old civil rights leader.

Ana Murguia, the daughter of a labor organizer in the 1970s, said that Chavez sexually abused her in his office when she was 13 and he was 45. The trauma, she told the Times, prompted her to try to end her life repeatedly by the age of 15.

Another woman, Debra Rojas, also accused Chavez of sexually touching her in his office during the same period of time. Both women said the abuse took place in the 60s and 70s when Chavez became a prominent figure in labor rights.

According to The Times, Rojas said she was 12 when Chavez first groped her in his office. She was 15 when he had her stay in a motel over the course of a weekslong march through California, when he had sexual intercourse with her, the Times reported.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Huerta said she became pregnant after two sexual encounters with Chavez. In the first encounter, she said he manipulated and pressured her to have sex with him. The second time, she said, he drove her to a field and forced her.

"As a young mother in the 1960s, I experienced two separate sexual encounters with Cesar," she said. "The first time I was manipulated and pressured into having sex with him, and I didn’t feel I could say no because he was someone that I admired, my boss and the leader of the movement I had already devoted years of my life to. The second time I was forced, against my will, and in an environment where I felt trapped."

Huerta's revelation stunned the movement she helped build. Community leaders were quick to respond.

“Today’s news from Dolores Huerta - a fearless champion for women, workers, and justice - is shattering. That a woman of such integrity and accomplishment, for decades, felt she needed to put the work of others before the pain of her own trauma is another reminder of how toxic and debilitating patriarchy remains in our culture," Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath said in a written statement Wednesday. "I love Dolores for so many reasons, including her courage to come forward and share her truth."

On Wednesday, the Chavez family issued a statement about the allegations to NBC.

"Our family is shocked and saddened to learn of news that our father, Cesar Chavez, engaged in sexual impropriety with women and minors nearly 50 years ago. As a family steeped in the values of equity and justice, we honor the voices of those who feel unheard and who report sexual abuse. This is deeply painful to our family. We hope these matters are approached thoughtfully and fairly," the family said in a written statement.

"We ask for understanding and privacy as we continue to process this difficult information. As family members, we also carry our own memories of the person we knew. Someone whose life included work and contributions that matter deeply to many people. We will process and be responsive to the experiences of others as we hold cherished memories of our father. We hope that these conversations are approached with care, fairness, and compassion for everyone involved."

On Tuesday, UFW announced it would cancel events for March 31 and try to learn more about the claims against Chavez while supporting people who have been victimized. The organization released a statement, which said:

"The UFW has learned of deeply troubling allegations that one of the union’s co-founders, Cesar Chavez, behaved in ways that are incompatible with our 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. 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."

UFW has not released any further information yet on if the Cesar Chavez Day events will resume.

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