LAUSD schools named after Cesar Chavez in San Fernando Valley and El Sereno to be renamed by Fall 2026 following sexual abuse allegations against the labor leader, according to a unanimous board resolution.
Two Los Angeles Unified School District schools named after Cesar Chavez will be renamed by Fall 2026 following allegations of sexual abuse against the late labor leader.
The Cesar E. Chavez Academies in the and in are part of the schools slated for renaming, according to an LAUSD Board of Education resolution approved unanimously on Tuesday.
The LAUSD resolution -- introduced by board members Kelly Gonez and Rocio Rivas -- also states that the district "with meaningful engagement with students, families, educators, and community members, shall immediately commence an expedited process to rename the Cesar Chavez Learning Academies in San Fernando and Cesar Chavez Elementary School in El Sereno, bringing proposed new names that reflect the District's values of equity, justice, and community leadership to the board for approval by no later than Fall 2026."
The action comes after a New York Times investigation revealed allegations that Chavez raped and sexually abused women and girls, including United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta, who alleged she was raped by Chavez in the 1960s.
The investigation included accounts from two women who allege Chavez sexually abused them when they were children in the 1970s.
Reporters from the Times interviewed more than 60 people, including some of Chavez's relatives and top aides, as well as reviewing emails, union records and photographs that corroborated the allegations, according to CBS Los Angeles.
Board member Kelly Gonez, who exactly two weeks ago won unanimous board approval for a resolution calling Chavez a true American hero, said she was horrified by the revelations.
Fighting back tears, Gonez said she was "horrified" to learn of "the repeated abuse of girls and women," according to the Los Angeles Times. "Chavez's alleged actions represent a betrayal... for so many of us, and yet they resonate with many survivors and many women who experienced this as girls and in our adulthood, including myself."
Board member Rocío Rivas, who co-sponsored the resolution with Gonez, spoke in similar terms.
"Let me say this freely," Rivas said. "We believe you and all of the survivors. We stand with you. I also want to acknowledge that for many in our school community, students, staff and families, this one moment may be deeply triggering. It may bring out personal experiences, fear or pain that is real, and we have a responsibility to respond with care, with urgency and with support," according to the Los Angeles Times.
The resolution includes provisions for added support for victims of sexual abuse within the district.
The resolution to rename the schools was taken up on an emergency basis at an L.A. Board of Education meeting that was scheduled as a board retreat to discuss an update to the district's strategic plan, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Under the resolution, the district would ensure resources and counseling are made available to survivors of sexual violence within school communities. The district also will ensure school sites have clear, confidential reporting pathways, trained staff and trauma-informed supports for students impacted by sexual violence.
The LAUSD board approved renaming Cesar Chavez Day to Farm Workers Day, honoring the collective contributions of farm workers and their impact on communities.
The board said renaming the holiday will honor the collective contributions of farm workers and their impact on communities, while also supporting survivors and condemning all forms of abuse, according to CBS Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed an executive order last week renaming the city's Cesar Chavez holiday to Farm Workers Day.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved two motions Tuesday to review county recognitions of Chavez and rename the holiday as Farmworkers Day.
County Supervisors Hilda Solis and Janice Hahn introduced a motion calling for the county to rename the upcoming holiday, which is marked on Chavez's birthday, March 31.
The motion also called on county leaders to remove "the name and likeness of Cesar Chavez from all county holiday-related events, communications and materials, and updating existing materials accordingly."
A known mural in Watts featuring farmworker movement leader Cesar Chavez has undergone a facelift to replace him with civil rights icon Dolores Huerta.
"These allegations are grave and painful, demanding a thorough, transparent, and trauma-informed response," the motion states. "Survivors must be believed, supported, and treated with dignity, and they must never again feel that their voices are secondary to any movement or individual," according to the Yahoo article.
The county Board of Supervisors will also consider a separate motion calling on its CEO and attorney to develop a community-driven process for the renaming of parks, streets, County facilities, real property, monuments, and other County programs that bear the name of Cesar Chavez, including the removal of related imagery in civic artworks and report back in writing in 21 days.
In response to The Times investigation, the Chavez family called the allegations deeply painful.
They said they wish peace and healing to the survivors and commend them for coming forward with their stories, according to CBS Los Angeles. "We remain committed to farmworkers and the causes he and countless others championed and continue to champion," the statement said. "We ask for understanding and privacy as we continue to process this difficult information."
The investigation by The New York Times included accounts from two women who allege Chavez sexually abused them when they were children in the 1970s. Dolores Huerta, 95, who co-founded a labor organization with Chavez that would later merge with United Farm Workers, has also alleged she was raped by Chavez in the 1960s, which led to two pregnancies.
The Chavez family statement added that they wish peace and healing to the survivors and commend them for coming forward with their stories.
The resolution states that the district will commemorate March 31 as Farmworkers Day, "honoring the collective contributions of farm workers and their enduring impact on our communities, and ensure that future instructional calendars reflect anticipated changes in the state holiday, which could include both the name and designated day," according to the Yahoo article.
The LAUSD resolution was introduced by board members Kelly Gonez and Rocio Rivas. The board also stated that the district will ensure resources and counseling are made available to survivors of sexual violence within school communities.
The resolution also instructs schools to provide accessible information to students and families about how to report incidents of sexual violence, who to contact, what to expect in the reporting process and available protections, according to CBS Los Angeles.
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This article was generated with AI assistance.