Cesar Chavez: Arizona looks to strip name from cities, cancel events amid sexual assault allegations

Cesar Chavez: Arizona seeks to remove name amid sexual abuse allegations

Troubling details are emerging following the sexual assault allegations against labor icon and Arizona native Cesar Chavez, as two women come forward. FOX 10's Brian Webb hears from a Valley immigrant rights activist who knew Chavez.

PHOENIX - Fallout from the Cesar Chavez sex assault allegations is spreading across Arizona. The late farmworker organizer is accused of sexually assaulting under age women more than 50 years ago.

What we know:

The New York Times broke the story, and now organizations and cities are quickly canceling events in his name.

The Cesar Chavez name is all across the Valley, but that is quickly changing after interviews of more than 60 aides and relatives, union records, pictures, emails, and recordings.

Who was Cesar Chavez?

According to an article on the AFL-CIO's website, Chavez was born in Arizona, and was the second of five children. He became a full-time organizer for Community Services Organization, where he met Dolores Huerta, and later established the National Farm Workers Association with her. The NFWA later merged with another organization and became the United Farm Workers.

Chavez, per the website, died in 1993, and his birthday on March 31 has, until now, been celebrated as Cesar Chavez Day. According to the Los Angeles County Library, Cesar Chavez Day has been a federal commemorative holiday since 2014, when it was proclaimed by then-President Barack Obama.

Local perspective:

Pictures of Chavez are already off the walls at El Portal restaurant in South Phoenix. The owner knew — worked and revered Cesar Chavez.

"Very humble, very passionate about making sure that social justice got carried out for all people," Mary Rose Wilcox said.

Wilcox served on the Phoenix City Council and was a supervisor in Maricopa County. But before that, she was an immigration activist and first met Chavez in 1971, helping organize unions for farmworkers.

"I really know Revere Chavez and now I look at it and I’m just sick about it," Wilcox said. "I found out last night and my husband and I both had a terrible night and this morning we woke up and said we have to make a statement, and you know you’re really torn because there’s two Chavez's— there’s the one Chavez who did all these good things and passed all the legislation was a passionate man who won farmworkers rights, and now you find out there was another one we didn’t know."

Dig deeper:

The late Cesar Chavez is a Mexican-American icon, organizing farmworkers for better conditions. But 33 years after his death, at least three women accuse Chavez of sexually assaulting them— two when they were teenagers, when he was in his 40s.

Allegations, for Wilcox, that break her heart.

"It heart hurts my heart, but you have to you know and you just have to move on and you have to think of the victims cause women cannot take that anymore," she said. "You know you cannot disregard women and it’s a new life. "

What they're saying:

The Phoenix City Council will vote on March 25 to rename the March 31 holiday to Farmworkers Day, and to rename the buildings bearing Chavez' name, along with removing street signs honoring him, in light of the allegations.  

"What we’ve learned about Chavez’s behavior is shocking and appalling, and he does not embody the values of our city," Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said. "We have a duty to honor the dignity of the survivors and move forward in a way that reflects our values."

Related

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Arizona won't recognize Cesar Chavez Day amid abuse allegations

Gov. Katie Hobbs announced that Arizona will not recognize Cesar Chavez Day on March 31 this year following "troubling allegations" of sexual abuse against the late labor icon.

On March 17, Gov. Katie Hobbs announced that Arizona will not recognize Cesar Chavez Day this year, while The Cesar Chavez Foundation says they recently became aware of allegations of the inappropriate sexual behavior with women and minors while president of the United Farm Workers Union (UFW).

Phoenix Union High School District released a statement following the allegations, saying: "Despite the alleged egregious actions of one person, the Phoenix Union High School District remains committed to honoring the thousands of farmworkers, past and present, who organized through the
United Farm Workers and beyond to secure safer working conditions and fair wages. We are thankful for leaders such as Dolores Huerta, who continue to lead through truth-telling."

What's next:

The cities of Tempe and El Mirage are also declining to recognize Cesar Chavez Day.