US EditionCalifornia to rename Cesar Chavez Day as Farmworkers Day following sexual abuse allegations
California lawmakers plan to rename the March 31 holiday after a New York Times investigation revealed sexual abuse allegations against César Chávez, prompting widespread removal of his name.
- On Thursday, California legislative leaders announced they will rename the March 31 holiday to Farmworkers Day and pass a bill later this month, pending Governor Gavin Newsom's approval.
- Published Wednesday, The New York Times investigation alleged César Chávez groomed and sexually abused young girls and women, prompting officials and groups to reevaluate public honors.
- Local institutions responded by canceling events and covering memorials, with Fresno State University covering a Chávez statue on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, the California Museum removing Chávez from the state Hall of Fame, and the United Farm Workers union distancing itself from celebrations.
- The legislation would pass before month-end, with leaders urging renaming Cesar Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day, and the City of Los Angeles naming the last Monday of March 'Farm Workers Day'.
- Dolores Huerta, labor rights leader, said 'I am nearly 96 years old, and for the last 60 years have kept a secret because I believed that exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement I have spent my entire life fighting for'; Chávez's family and Cesar Chavez Foundation pledged support for victims, and some leaders proposed replacing Chávez's name with Huerta's.
116 Articles
116 Articles
The women leading the farmworker movement won’t let it be defined by Cesar Chavez
Monica Ramirez has spent much of her life spotlighting the pervasiveness of sexual violence against women farmworkers. She, like many in that movement, considered civil rights leader Cesar Chavez an icon. Since allegations came to light this week that Chavez sexually assaulted women and girls as young as 12 — including fellow movement leader Dolores Huerta — Ramirez and the larger farmworker community have been left reeling. Now, they’re trying…
Scrubbing César Chávez from California
César E. Chávez Memorial Plaza in Sacramento on March 18, 2026. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters I’m CalMatters reporter Ryan Sabalow, and I’m pinch hitting for Lynn today. No more César Chávez Day, California. Democratic leaders said Thursday they’re going to fast-track legislation to rename the March 31 holiday “Farmworkers Day.” The move came a day after the New York Times published a bombshell investigation into allegations that t…
‘It’s amazing how lazy we are’: Governor Newsom responds to SA allegations against beloved civil rights leader he idolized
California Governor Gavin Newsom said Wednesday he’s open to renaming Cesar Chavez Day, following allegations of long-term sexual abuse against the beloved civil rights leader. The governor’s comments came after a New York Times investigation revealed claims from women who say Chavez sexually abused them in California during the 1960s and 1970s while he held significant power within the farmworkers’ movement. Newsom shared how tough it’s been to…
The reason for this is an investigation by The New York Times. In it, two women accuse the deceased union leader of years of sexual abuse.
The Epoch Times
Zero HedgeCalifornia Moves to Rename Cesar Chavez Day Before March 31 Holiday
California state lawmakers took steps on March 19 to remove Cesar Chavez’s name from a state holiday this year and replace it with “Farmworkers Day” after accusations against the civil rights icon of sexual assault involving children and women surfaced the day before. The state became the latest to take action to change or cancel plans to celebrate Chavez as fallout over the accusations continued. Cesar Chavez Day has been celebrated each year o…
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