Allegations detailed in a New York Times report accuse late labor leader Cesar Chavez of sexually abusing girls and women during his leadership of the United Farm Workers of America (UFW).
Chavez, who died in 1993, is widely recognized for advancing farmworker rights in the 1960s and 1970s and was considered one of the most prominent civil rights figures in U.S. history.
The report is based on interviews with more than 60 people, including former aides, relatives, and union members, along with a review of internal records, emails, photographs, and recordings of UFW board meetings.
Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the UFW, said Chavez pressured her into a sexual relationship in one instance and forced a second encounter against her will, according to a statement she released.
Huerta said she was a young mother at the time and kept the experiences private for decades because she believed speaking out could harm the farmworker movement she had helped build.
The Times reported it could not independently corroborate Huerta's allegations.
Huerta said both encounters resulted in pregnancies and that two children were later placed with other families to be raised.
She said the allegations have weighed on her for years and expressed concern for others who may have suffered in silence.
Two additional women told the Times they were minors, ages 13 and 15, when Chavez first sexually abused them.
Chavez, who was Mexican-American, has long been honored at multiple levels of government, with streets, schools, and public institutions bearing his name and annual observances such as Cesar Chavez Day recognizing his role in the farmworker movement.
Then-President Barack Obama designated March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day in 2014, and the date has been recognized as a state holiday in California.
The Cesar Chavez Foundation said it had become aware of what it described as troubling allegations, while the United Farm Workers of America acknowledged that young women or girls may have been harmed.
Several communities canceled planned Cesar Chavez Day events as the report became public.
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