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The deeply painful revelations regarding César Chávez

March 20, 2026

San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg

Statement from the president of the Latino Caucus of California Counties Dawn Ortiz-Legg

The posthumous revelations regarding César Chávez—a figure long honored for his leadership and advocacy on behalf of farm workers—have been deeply painful for many in our Latino community. No leader, regardless of their contributions, is beyond accountability.

As members of this community, the Latino Caucus of California Counties stands with the women who have come forward. With deep respect, we recognize the lifelong impact of the harm they endured and the long wait to be heard and believed.

We acknowledge that delayed reporting of abuse is common, and that a culture of silence too often prevents survivors from coming forward and having their experiences recognized.

Their voices have always mattered. This moment underscores a difficult truth that many in our community know too well: the silence surrounding abuse has spanned generations and cultures, leaving far too many without support or acknowledgment.

In our roles as county supervisors, we have witnessed the profound impact abuse has on individuals, families, and communities—and the extraordinary strength it takes to heal and move forward.

As we process this moment together, we hope it creates space for honest conversation, reflection, and greater awareness around workplace intimidation and the grooming of young people. These harmful behaviors have caused lasting trauma for far too many, for far too long.

We also want those who may still be suffering in silence to know they are not alone.

There are resources, support systems, and people ready to stand with them. If you or a loved one needs help, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at (800) 656-4673. Employers and employees seeking to build safer workplaces can access additional resources here.

The Latino community has always been rooted in resilience, dignity, and care for one another. We remain committed to advocating for and supporting the farm workers who feed our nation—and all workers—ensuring they are safe in the workplace and treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

We must continue to uphold these values by listening, supporting survivors, and ensuring that accountability and compassion go hand in hand.

San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg represents District 3.

 


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To everyone on this forum, take the time to read the NYT article on Cesar Chavez if you haven’t already. It’s not a bs hit piece. It’s well researched. It has multiple firsthand accounts of sexual abuse and worse, including young teenage girls. It’s damming. It’s infuriating. People must have known. This guy needs to be cancelled posthaste.


-1

As long as the day is Chávez’s birthday even if the name is changed to Farm workers day or such, it will still be honoring a rapist, the day must be changed, how about Dolores Huerta’s birthday, April 10th.


4

Here is another “Deeply painful revelation” regarding Cesar Chavez and his “thugs” that is NOT being discussed…


My father-in-law and his family (his wife and 10 kids) worked the fields when Mr. Chavez was “rabble rousing” and he HATED that man, and my father-in-law was a good judge of character and a decent human being. A “real” cowboy from Mexico, even stated so on his “green card”, although I do not recall him sporting a beard or driving an F-350. 


You see, if you did not “get on the train” or “the program” with Cesar Chavez and his crew, you and your family would be BEATEN.


That is what that this “movement” was all about. I never overheard anyone in my wife’s family discussing “sexual abuse” or similar, but I do KNOW that when Cesar Chavez and his cronies entered the fields, you’d be better looking for a way out…


Sounds like something else that has been going on as of late…


19

This is a strategic, coordinated takedown and cancellation. These politicians and “journalists” don’t give a damn about anyone who may have been assaulted decades ago. Their words are fake and meaningless. The left will always eat its own when the need to preserve the current narrative is the priority.

…..Ortiz me.


19

If these allegations are true there is no excusing his behavior; that sort of thing is morally wrong. The question is, why now? After all these years, after the man himself died decades ago? The NY Times wouldn’t have run this if it didn’t serve some purpose in the larger Leftist scheme; they’ve been fluffing totalitarians since the days of Walter Duranty denying the Holodomor and lionizing Stalin. And, just like Stalin airbrushing Yezhov out of the picture next to the Moscow Canal, so too does Cesar Chavez disappear from the public space in California. At blinding speed. Take the crews who are painting over Chavez murals and removing Chavez statues and send them to work on the High-Speed Rail Project. That thing will be up and running in no time. There’s been no trial, no presumption of innocence, no cross examination, no chance for the man to argue in his own defense since he’s dead. But he’s guilty until proven innocent, he’s being turned into an “unperson” at light speed, and everyone is fine with that. That bothers me, because that kind of mob mentality tends to want to devour everything eventually. Ultimately no one is safe from that kind of thought process, and I don’t like where that can take us.


22

I like the Stalin references. Duranty and Yezhov? Wow, deep dive.


5

Imagine he was a convicted felon how fast he would be cancelled.


-7

Three hours, thirty-one minutes. I knew it was coming, as utterly rote and predictable as a cloying, saccharine speech extolling the Uni-Cause at the Emmys. Shall I assume then that you, in the interests of justice, would support a reexamination of Tara Reade’s claims about Joe Biden? You know, the forcible sexual assault involving digital penetration in the halls of Congress allegations? You know, reported (eventually) by the Tribune?


https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/politics-government/article242527331.html


You know, those allegations detailed on the notoriously right-wing outlet Democracy Now?


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_8EjjK_8IiM


Spare me. You only care about those cases which align with your political ideology, and all the other women can get lost as far as you’re concerned.


14

You think I give two shits about Biden being investigated? Do it. Include Chavez, Clinton and anybody else who are predators.

Speaking of which. Trump or any other American has not been held accountable for the Epstein files. Why is that?

And for some Sunday reading here are trumps polling numbers. Winning!

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/polls/donald-trump-approval-rating-polls.html


-11

I knew it was coming, predictable as….

Shall I assume then that you, out of a sincerely held principle of fair and even handed application of justice, would support reexamination of Tara Reade’s allegations against Joe Biden? You know, the allegations of a violent sexual assault in the hallway, with forcible digital penetration? Those allegations, outlined in that rabidly right-wing outlet Democracy Now?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_8EjjK_8IiM

Those allegations, partially corroborated by official court documents here in SLO County?

https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/politics-government/article242527331.html

Of course you would, right? Why, if I thought your ethics and morality were situational depending on the party affiliation of the individuals involved, well I just don’t think I could bear it.


7

Deeply painful, and entirely expected. Left-wing media is to blame. They, the media, always prop up these flawed civil rights advocates, all the while, the civil rights advocates are the worst abusers of women, and in some cases, children. Take the example of race baiter Al Sharpton. Who can adequately explain this “reverends” presence on TV in 2026?


17

I don’t think we should be too upset with him, in his time and his culture it was considered completely in the norm. For the same reason I’m not upset with Somalis committing fraud. we can’t force people into our culture, I think everyone should accept their culture and deal with it.


-85

Racism made to sound reasonable.

C.R.E.A.M. ….Creative racism extolling American mastery?

Rapist’s come in every stripe.


-7

Well I like your satire, CREAM, but based on the downvotes so far, most don’t seem to have a taste for it.


24

I think you have insulted just about everyone with this racist garbage.


14

It’s so cute when they huffily play the race card!…


12

Can’t wait for the tone deaf comments of the maga crowd…


-69

Well here’s one. They Knew. They ALL knew in the UFW leadership. They swept it under rugs and snuffed out any hint of it for decades because it endangered their agenda and their gravy train. They shielded their predator that brought them so much money and power.


Tone deaf enough for you?


90

Yep, they should have put it right out in the open like President Trump, who cheated on three wives, groped countless women and was found liable of sexual abuse in the E. Jean Carroll case. Maybe Chavez could have been president, too.


-30

Don’t forget Governor Newsom cheating with his former best friend wife or Swalwell and his Chinese spy Feng Feng.


25

Or every state legislature who voted to keep sexual assaults and taxpayer funded payouts secret, hmmmmm which party was that?


17

Currently it’s the maga. Donald Trump to be exact.


-11

True. This ain’t exactly breaking news.


6

8/10

Had Chávez had better Merch I think it would have helped. Maybe some César crypto?


-23

I dunno, he DID have pretty good merch…


2

The Cesar gold sneakers were awesome.


-6

Cesar Chavez, would 100% support ICE.


Chavez, and the UFW, were so against illegals, that they

formed their own private Border Patrol.


Chavez was MAGA, before MAGA was cool.


10

I don’t know about these allegations but I do know that CC was rightly against ILLEGAL INVADERS.


#DeportThemAll


#NEVERVoteDemoNcratAgain


14

100 percent correct. He knew the white farm owners would hire illegals instead of unionized farm workers dilute the worker pool. He didn’t care about legality. He cared about dues being paid monthly.


13