Crime & Safety

Cesar Chavez Mural Covered Up At OC College Amid Abuse Allegations

The mural, which was painted by renowned muralist Emigdio Vasquez, has been housed at Santa Ana College for the past three decades.

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A mural of late civil rights leader Cesar Chavez was painted over at an Orange County college after allegations of sexual abuse against the activist came to light.
A mural of late civil rights leader Cesar Chavez was painted over at an Orange County college after allegations of sexual abuse against the activist came to light. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — An iconic mural of late civil rights leader Cesar Chavez was painted over at an Orange County college after allegations of sexual abuse against the activist emerged this week.

The mural, which was painted by renowned muralist Emigdio Vasquez, has been housed at Santa Ana College for the past three decades.

The day after the sexual abuse allegations against Chavez came to light, the school covered up the mural — as well as plaques bearing his name at the Cesar Chavez Business and Computer Center.

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Administrators have also begun removing photos of the mural from the community college's website and social media.

According to school leadership, long-term decisions about the mural and the building's name will be discussed at a Rancho Santiago Community College District Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, March 23.

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"Santa Ana College stands in solidarity with our community, nuestra comunidad," college President Annabelle Nery said in a statement. "Understandably, this moment has evoked a wide range of emotions within our campus community, including grief, trauma, confusion, anger and, for some, a profound sense of betrayal."

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."

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