FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — From potential street name changes to campus statues, a growing statewide movement is pushing school districts and universities, including Fresno State, to reconsider names tied to César Chávez.
At Fresno State, the university took visible action.
The statue of Chávez on campus was covered with black fabric late Wednesday morning, marking a stark shift from just a day earlier.
University President Saul Jimenez-Sandoval addressed the allegations in a statement, saying in part:
“I am deeply saddened and disturbed by the allegations being reported about César Chávez. These profoundly troubling claims about the rape of women and minors call for our full attention and moral reckoning by removing his statue from our campus.”
Across the region, school districts are also grappling with how to respond.
Petitions grow as schools, cities reconsider Cesar Chavez names and statues. (Photo: FOX26)
In Fresno, Fresno Unified School District Board Trustee Keshia Thomas called the situation “heartbreaking.”
“These things coming to light bring heartbreak because this is a pillar of our community, somebody that we really looked up to,” Thomas said. “But then we have a woman who we admire and adore — it’s really coming from a place of sadness that we actually have to endure this.”
Thomas says the district is already hearing from the community about one school in particular, the César Chávez Adult School.
“We’ve had lots of calls and concerns in person, as well as phone calls, and we are taking those into consideration. From my knowledge, there is a petition that has already started,” she said.
According to Thomas, community input will ultimately decide whether the school’s name is changed.
Under board policy, petitions must be submitted by the community before the school board reviews and considers any action.
“Anything can be removed in a blink of an eye. We will do our best to do what the community wants,” Thomas said.
In Delano, a petition created by students is already circulating online, calling for César E. Chávez High School to be renamed.
The push marks a striking shift in a city historically tied to Chávez’s legacy, including his hunger strikes in the late 1980s advocating for farmworker rights.
Other districts in the region are also monitoring the situation.
Parlier Unified School District has a César Chávez Elementary School.
Madera Unified School District does as well.
In a statement, Madera Unified said, in part:
Our district always seeks to see, hear, and care for those who feel invisible or diminished, so we cannot look away from the pain being reported. We are continuing to monitor credible information as it becomes available and will work with our elected board of trustees to ensure any next steps align with their vision for our community and our core values.
Beyond school names and statues, educators are also facing questions about how Chávez’s history will be taught moving forward.
Thomas acknowledged the complexity of that challenge.
“Once we put someone into the history books, it’s very difficult to remove all of that,” she said. “People all over the country are very disappointed, and they want to see change fast.”
She added that how schools address Chávez’s place in history will be part of a broader, ongoing conversation.