California Moves to Rename Cesar Chavez Holiday Amid Sexual Assault Allegations

California legislators are rushing to change their state holiday honoring labor leader Cesar Chavez to "Farmworkers Day" following serious sexual assault allegations. The accusations came from his longtime co-worker Dolores Huerta and other women, prompting swift action across the state.

California legislators are moving quickly to strip Cesar Chavez’s name from their state holiday following disturbing sexual assault allegations against the late labor leader.

State Assembly members from both parties introduced legislation Thursday to rename the March 31 holiday “Farmworkers Day” instead of honoring Chavez individually. A vote could happen as early as Monday, according to Republican Assembly member Alexandra Macedo.

“Due to the outrage, this is coming up fast,” Macedo said in an interview. “But this holiday has never been about one man. It’s about all the farmworkers who feed and clothe the world, not just California or our nation, but the world.”

The controversy erupted after Dolores Huerta, who helped establish the United Farm Workers union alongside Chavez, publicly accused him Wednesday of sexually assaulting her during the 1960s. Her revelation coincided with a New York Times investigation spanning multiple years that documented a pattern of sexual misconduct allegations against Chavez, including accounts from women who say he molested and raped them as children.

Huerta revealed she had concealed her experiences with Chavez, including bearing two of his children, because she feared damaging the labor movement they built together.

Chavez gained national recognition during the mid-1960s for organizing agricultural workers throughout Central and Southern California, fighting for improved wages and working conditions. He passed away in 1993 at age 66.

President Barack Obama designated Chavez’s birthday as a federal commemorative holiday in 2014. California became the first state to establish it as a state holiday in 2000, with several other states following suit. Traditional observances have included community marches, volunteer service activities, and educational programming.

The United Farm Workers union has already cancelled its planned Chavez celebrations in response to the allegations. Municipal governments are also taking action to remove his name from educational institutions and streets while cancelling or renaming events held in his honor.

While most of these changes will require time to implement, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass moved swiftly Thursday, signing an executive order immediately renaming March 31 as Farmworkers Day within the city.