Dolores Huerta issues statement amid César Chávez scandal: 'My silence ends here'

Dolores Huerta accuses Cesar Chavez of sexual assault

Legendary activist Dolores Huerta accused Cesar Chavez of sexual assault on Wednesday. 

Are you or someone you know a recent survivor of sexual assault? Help is available. Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) provides a 24/7 national sexual assault hotline, which can be reached at 1-800-656-4673
 

LOS ANGELES – The legacy of César Chávez continues to be scrutinized as more allegations surface about the late labor leader.

On Wednesday, legendary activist Dolores Huerta issued a statement about Chávez.

Dolores Huerta’s statement

What they're saying:

"I am nearly 96 years old, and for the last 60 years have kept a secret because I believed that exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement I have spent my entire life fighting for.

I have encouraged people to always use their voice. Following the New York Times’ multi-year investigation into sexual misconduct by Cesar Chavez, I can no longer stay silent and must share my own experiences.

As a young mother in the 1960s, I experienced two separate sexual encounters with Cesar. The first time I was manipulated and pressured into having sex with him, and I didn’t feel I could say no because he was someone that I admired, my boss and the leader of the movement I had already devoted years of my life to. The second time I was forced, against my will, and in an environment where I felt trapped.

César Chávez accused of sexual abuse: NYT reports

Dolores Huerta accused labor leader César Chávez of sexual abuse in response to a bombshell New York Times report.

I had experienced abuse and sexual violence before, and I convinced myself these were incidents that I had to endure alone and in secret. Both sexual encounters with Cesar led to pregnancies. I chose to keep my pregnancies secret and, after the children were born, I arranged for them to be raised by other families that could give them stable lives."

In an extended version of her statement, Huerta said she developed a relationship with the children, who were told the truth just a few weeks ago.

"I carried this secret for as long as I did because building the movement and securing farmworker rights was my life’s work. The formation of a union was the only vehicle to accomplish and secure those rights, and I wasn’t going to let Cesar or anyone else get in the way. I channeled everything I had into advocating on behalf of millions of farmworkers and others who were suffering and deserved equal rights."

She concluded her statement by writing, "I have kept my secret long enough. My silence ends here."

Click here to read her full statement.

The backstory:

On Tuesday, the United Farm Workers and the César Chávez Foundation announced they will abstain from celebrations honoring the late labor leader following serious allegations of past abuse involving minors.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: UFW, César Chávez Foundation withdraw from celebrations amid abuse allegations

In 2025, Los Angeles commemorated César Chávez Day with a march and rally in Pacoima and a Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, among other events throughout the region.

The Mass served to reflect on the 60th anniversary of the famed Delano Grape Strike. The strike by the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, a predominantly Filipino and AFL-CIO-backed labor organization, against table grape growers in the Kern County city about 30 miles north of Bakersfield began on Sept. 8, 1965.

The predominantly Mexican National Farmworkers Association, which Chávez founded alongside Huerta, joined the strike eight days later. The two groups merged in August 1966 to create United Farm Workers.

The strike and boycott ended in 1970 after 26 table grape growers signed contracts with UFW.

A statement from the Chavez family: ‘This is deeply painful for our family’

The other side:

The Chavez family released the following statement to FOX 11 Wednesday: 

"Our family is devastated by today’s New York Times article about our father Cesar Chavez. This is deeply painful for our family.

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. We carry our own memories of the person we knew. Someone whose life included work and contributions that matter deeply to many people.

We remain committed to farmworkers and the causes he and countless others championed and continue to champion. We ask for understanding and privacy as we continue to process this difficult information."