The county Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 Wednesday in support of renaming César Chávez Day to Farm Workers Day, following sexual abuse allegations against deceased labor leader earlier this month.
The board directed Chief Administrative Officer Ebony Shelton to return April 21 with an ordinance mandating the name change, and to send a letter to appropriate state and federal officials in support of the change.
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, according to an explosive New York Times investigation released earlier this month.
Supervisor Paloma Aguirre said the recent allegations about Chávez "are deeply disturbing."
"We're in a moment when people, especially women, are coming forward with traumas they have experienced that have too often been ignored or dismissed," said Aguirre, who proposed the resolution. "It is my firm belief that public institutions have a responsibility to take those concerns seriously."
"The names we choose to elevate and commemorate carry weight," Aguirre said. "When credible concerns arise about a figure, it is appropriate to pause and re-asses."
The farm workers' movement was one of the most significant labor movements in U.S. history, Aguirre said, adding, "We have to all remember this movement was never the work of a single individual. It was built by a diverse coalition of Mexican, Filipino and other immigrant communities."
Aguirre noted that numerous women played in a role that movement as well.
Supervisor Joel Anderson was absent due to illness.
On Tuesday night, the San Diego Unified School District started the process of renaming César Chávez Elementary School, calling it the first step in a "structured, community-driven process designed to ensure transparency, inclusivity, and meaningful engagement."
"We recognize that this is not a simple or easy moment," District Superintendent Fabi Bagula said. "It calls for us to lead with clarity, with care, and with integrity. Our focus remains on supporting our students and community, creating space for meaningful dialogue, and ensuring that the outcome of this process reflects the values we hold as a district."
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.
"As we change the name of César Chávez Elementary School, I look forward to a process that pulls together students, families, educators and community leaders to honor the history of the farm workers movement, and to develop a name that inspires future generations of young people to know they can make a positive difference in this world," Board President Richard Barrera said.
Bagula told City News Service the allegations were "serious, concerning and deeply troubling."
"Our first responsibility is to acknowledge and support anyone who may have been harmed," she said. "As we move forward, including conversations about a school that bears his name, our focus will be on listening deeply to better understand the impact to the school community and how we might collectively move forward in a way that prioritizes student safety and a sense of belonging."
The San Diego Community College District, which has a César E. Chávez Campus in Barrio Logan, along César E. Chávez Parkway, will review a potential renaming of the campus at its April 6 board meeting.
"These reports are deeply concerning, and our thoughts are with everyone impacted," according to a district statement. "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 Times story was published one day after the UFW and the César Chávez Foundation announced that they will abstain from honoring the late labor leader on this year's state holiday on March 31, citing "disturbing allegations."
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.
