Civil Rights Icon Cesar Chavez’s Family, Officials React to Sexual Assault Accusations

Texas is the first state to cancel its official state holiday honoring Chavez after an investigation into alleged assaults was published.
Civil Rights Icon Cesar Chavez’s Family, Officials React to Sexual Assault Accusations
Cesar Chavez, a farm worker, labor organizer, and leader of the 1965 California grape strike, is seen in a California works office in 1965. AP Photo, George Brich, File
|Updated:
0:00

The family of Cesar Chavez said they were devastated by allegations of sexual abuse that surfaced against the American civil rights icon in a report published March 18, as officials began canceling celebrations and holidays in honor of him.

“This is deeply painful for our family,” the Chavez family told The Epoch Times in an email. “We wish peace and healing to the survivors and commend their courage to come forward. As a family steeped in the values of equity and justice, we honor the voices of those who feel unheard and who report sexual abuse.”

Jill McLaughlin
Jill McLaughlin
Author
Jill McLaughlin is an award-winning journalist covering politics, environment, and statewide issues. She has been a reporter and editor for newspapers in Oregon, Nevada, and New Mexico. Jill was born in Yosemite National Park and enjoys the majestic outdoors, traveling, golfing, and hiking.