San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria ordered staff Friday to begin removing Cesar Chavez’s name from city assets, and San Diego Unified School District will consider renaming Cesar Chavez Elementary School, days after the late labor leader was accused of sexual abuse decades ago.
“This executive order ensures that our city honors that collective legacy while aligning our public spaces with the values we uphold today,” Gloria said.
As part of his executive order, the mayor said he would work with the City Council to amend the municipal code to re-designate the March 31 holiday known as Cesar Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day. State officials had said a day earlier that they would pass legislation to do the same.
The city is also leading a community-engagement effort to rename Cesar Chavez Parkway in a process that will include public outreach before it goes before the City Council.
City departments have been directed to report back within 30 days after taking an inventory of all public-facing references to Chavez and then to remove or replace them.
In San Diego Unified, the school board will take up its proposed school renaming when it meets Tuesday. If approved, the district will create a naming committee and opportunities for community members to give input, the district said Friday afternoon.
“By initiating this process, we are creating a pathway for open dialogue, community voice, and thoughtful consideration about the future of this school,” said trustee Sharon Whitehurst-Payne in a statement. “Our commitment is to ensure that every voice is heard and that this process is inclusive, transparent, and centered on students and families.”
Board President Richard Barrera said he hoped for a new name to inspire young people. School leaders have already begun conversations about the issue.
A marquee at Cesar Chavez Elementary School is seen on March 18, 2026, in San Diego. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Similarly, Gloria’s executive order aimed to honor the legacy of activism for farmworkers’ rights and the Chicano movement.
A New York Times investigation published earlier this week uncovered allegations that Chavez, who died in 1993 at age 66, had sexually abused young girls and raped his fellow union leader, Dolores Huerta.
The revelations immediately prompted a flurry of action across San Diego County and the state. Cal State San Marcos immediately shrouded its Chavez statue in moving blankets.
In the days since, other institutions have also taken steps toward removing Chavez from a position of honor.
On Friday, the Port of San Diego said it was beginning the process of renaming Cesar Chavez Park in Barrio Logan. Next steps will be discussed when the port’s board of commissioners meets April 21.
In San Diego Unified School District, leaders last year adopted new policies to govern their school renaming process, after a messy renaming prompted complaints that the district wasn’t being transparent.
Under the new process, the first step is community-driven, and the district is generally limited to changing just one school name or mascot per year — which it just did at Clairemont High School.
The board is making an exception to that rule, however, and its “consideration of this item reflects the significance of this moment and the need to respond thoughtfully to community concerns,” the district said.