The San Diego Community College District's Board of Trustees will Monday consider renaming its César E. Chávez Campus in Barrio Logan following sexual abuse allegations against the deceased labor leader.
The campus, along César E. Chávez Parkway, is one of several institutions, parks and public spaces in San Diego County being considered for renaming following a New York Times report that Chávez allegedly sexually assaulted female followers as young as 12 in the 1970s and raped United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta, now 95, in 1966.
"These reports are deeply concerning, and our thoughts are with everyone impacted," according to a San Diego Community College District statement when the story broke last month. "SDCCD is committed to providing a safe, respectful environment for all, and we do not tolerate sexual misconduct or abuse of any kind. As we assess current and new information, SDCCD will prioritize feedback from our community and upholding our values of safety, dignity and respect for all."
The 67,924-square-foot campus in Barrio Logan opened in 2015 and annually serves thousands of adult education students enrolled in SDCCD's College of Continuing Education. The facility provides free classes for vocational training, English as a Second Language, citizenship, business, and adult basic education, among other programs.
"For all of us engaged in advancing equity in education, labor advocacy, immigration justice, and basic needs security, your work matters now more than ever," said district Chancellor Gregory Smith. "We ask you to remain committed to it. Honor the movement by continuing it and by building it in a way that does not replicate the abuses of power that have caused so much harm."
Smith said it was premature to assume any renaming was imminent and that the district will engage with many community stakeholders before reaching a decision.
"With this meeting, we are creating space for our community to be heard," said Tina M. King, College of Continuing Education president. "We recognize the significance of this moment and are committed to a thoughtful, transparent process that reflects the voices and values of the community we serve."
The SDCCD board meeting will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. in the multipurpose room at the César E. Chávez Campus at 1901 Main St.
The move follows the San Diego Unified School District taking a step last week to begin a renaming process for a Southcrest elementary school named after Chávez. SDUSD's Board of Education began the formal renaming process, the first step in a "structured, community-driven process designed to ensure transparency, inclusivity, and meaningful engagement."
A district regulation usually limits the SDUSD to one school name or mascot change each year, but the board considered the item regardless, reflecting the severity of the Chávez allegations. The process will include the formation of a naming committee and opportunities for the community to provide input.
The Times story was published one day after the UFW and the César Chávez Foundation announced that they were abstaining from honoring the late labor leader on this year's state holiday on March 31, citing "disturbing allegations." Many governments around the state celebrated the day as Farmworkers Day instead.
The Times said its story was based on interviews with more than 60 people, including top Chávez aides at the time, his relatives and former members of the UFW.
The story quotes a woman who says Chávez took her into his office when he was 45 and she was 13, kissed her and pulled her pants down. She said dozens of sexual encounters followed over the next four years, though she says none involved intercourse.
Another woman says she was 12 when Chávez groped her breast, and 15 when he arranged to have her stay at a motel during a march through California and had sexual intercourse with her.
Both women were the daughters of organizers who had marched in rallies alongside Chávez, according to the Times. The story claims that Chávez used other women in the farm labor movement for "sexual gratification."
Huerta, who will turn 96 on April 10, told the newspaper that Chávez drove her to a secluded grape field in Delano, California, in 1966 and raped her in the vehicle. She said she never reported the attack out of concerns for police hostility toward Chávez and the labor movement, and because she feared she wouldn't be believed.
"Unfortunately, he used some of his great leadership to abuse women and children — it's really awful," Huerta told the Times.
Chávez died in 1993 at age 66.
