'Troubling' allegations against Cesar Chavez prompt UFW to cancel celebrations

[WhiskeyGrinder]

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-03-17/la-me-cesar-chavez-allegations

The United Farmer Workers union said it will halt celebrations of its founder Cesar Chavez amid what the union described as “troubling allegations” against the iconic Chicano figure.

The union, in a statement released Tuesday, did not detail the accusations against Chavez but said they were concerning enough for the organization to take action. Several events around the country honoring Chavez have been canceled in recent weeks.

The claims against Chavez “are incompatible with our organization’s values. Some of the reports are family issues, and not our story to tell or our place to comment on. Far more troubling are allegations involving abuse of young women or minors. Allegations that very young women or girls may have been victimized are crushing. We have not received any direct reports, and we do not have any firsthand knowledge of these allegations,” the union said.

Canceling events, the union said, would “provide space for people who may have been victimized to find support and to share their stories if that is what they choose.”

Update:

https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/cesar-chavez-allegations-march-cancel-san-antonio-22080919.php
archive link: https://archive.ph/jN1Vu

The family of the late César Chávez, a farmworker organizer who became a national civil rights icon, is at the center of a mounting crisis involving allegations that he engaged in sexual relationships with women and at least one minor, according to interviews with former insiders and a historian.

The fallout has already led to the cancellation of public marches across the country and raised new questions about his public record.

In a statement released Tuesday, the United Farm Workers said it had learned of “deeply troubling allegations” that Chávez behaved in ways “incompatible with our organization’s values,” including claims involving “abuse of young women or minors.”

(snip)

Multiple sources told the San Antonio Express-News that a report by a national news publication is expected in the coming weeks and may be driving the cancellations of marches and the response.

[Ritabert]

1. Are all men involved in this BS behavior?

[EdmondDantes_]

4. Way too many of us are

Without having specific allegations it's hard to know, but I think a lot of men, particularly in the past, took a lot advantage. He's long been described as being authoritarian in his organization which probably led to its success, but can suck to work under.

[Ritabert]

10. Good points.

[Redleg]

5. It seems more likely with powerful men but I don't know for sure

I have never sexually abused anyone.

[Ritabert]

13. I was groped on the Boston subway until he got an elbow in the ribs.

I was harassed by some male doctors I worked with at a hospital. Luckily they weren't my bosses and I ignored them.

[David__77]

2. Someone unknown said something and they're changing their plans? Seems crazy.

[LeftInTX]

19. It isn't one person...

[WhiskeyGrinder]

20. The moves that the UFW and other orgs are making indicate that there's fire behind the smoke they see. They're not

fucking around.

[Chasstev365]

3. Not saying it's not true, but what's the evidence,

I'd like to see it before I judge.

[W_HAMILTON]

6. He died over 30 years ago.

What happened between then and the last 30+ years to have them change their mind just this year?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

8. Maybe seeing the calls across the country to hold Epstein perpetrators accountable?

[W_HAMILTON]

11. Is he an Epstein perpetrator?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

14. Not that I know of, why?

[Ritabert]

15. Maybe some victims came forward after all this Epstein stuff came out.

[snot]

7. I care greatly about allegations like these, but

I am so over the rule that says if anyone did anything bad, we have to cancel them, no matter how wonderful their contributions in other areas.

Can we please grow up and realize that humans are never either purely good or purely evil? Would anyone here really have wanted Pres. Clinton removed from office for accepting an extramarital blowjob?

I feel that we've too often allowed someone's failings to be used to remove them from history or from areas in which they could still be very helpful.

I don't care where human progress comes from; I don't care where the news comes from; all I care about is, is it genuinely helpful or informative?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

9. I'm not a fan of, say, elementary schools being named after someone who has assaulted children. We can do better than

that, I think.

[Ritabert]

17. Depends on if it was a one time occurrence or a regular problem

[WhiskeyGrinder]

21. molesting just one kid is okay, but more than one is not?

[BlueTsunami2018]

12. Smear anyone who did anything good for labor.

And exalt anyone who is a ruling class bootlicker.

When are we going to figure this out?

[Skittles]

16. repukes will clutch their pearls

while supporting a multi-felon rapist seditious mass murderer

[LeftInTX]

18. The foundation cancelled our local march about a month ago due to a "sensitive issue".

Everyone was speculating. ICE at the march?
Chavez's issues with immigrants? (naa...that stuff is really old and well known)

I kinda thought maybe it was something like this.

Unlike other unions with plenty of infrastructure, UFW started out as a "rag tag" group. So, oversight, would be limited and if true, it would take awhile for victims to come forward.

Not saying it's true, not saying it's not true. But if you looking at UFW, I can see if it's true, that it took decades to surface.

[Raine]

22. Chavez's continual hunger strikes took a toll on his health

probably contributed to his death and the thanks he gets is being canceled!