Cesar Chavez's public image as a farmworker hero is colliding with explosive new allegations uncovered by the New York Times. In a lengthy investigation, reporters Manny Fernandez and Sarah Hurtes detail a yearslong pattern of alleged sexual assault and misconduct against women and minors. Those coming forward include Ana Murguia and Debra Rojas, who say Chavez sexually abused them as underage girls in the 1970s, when he was in his 40s and at the height of his power in the United Farm Workers. But the story, based on interviews with more than 60 people and extensive union records, emails, photos, and audio from United Farm Workers board meetings, goes far beyond those two women.
Chavez, who died in 1993 at age 66, used "many of the women who worked and volunteered in his movement for his own sexual gratification," the story reads. That includes Dolores Huerta, Chavez's longtime ally and one of the most revered Latina activists in the country, who tells the Times that Chavez raped her in 1966 and fathered two of her children. Women describe a pattern of harassment and exploitation, and some union insiders say concerns were long minimized to protect Chavez's legacy. The allegations "are shocking, indefensible and something we are taking seriously," says the UFW in a statement. The organization has canceled all Cesar Chavez Day activities this month. For the full scope of the reporting and corroborating detail, read the investigation.