{"id":224382,"date":"2026-03-17T23:09:28","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T23:09:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/224382\/"},"modified":"2026-03-17T23:09:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T23:09:28","slug":"ufw-says-it-wont-join-cesar-chavez-day-events-amid-troubling-allegations-about-chavez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/224382\/","title":{"rendered":"UFW says it won\u2019t join Cesar Chavez Day events amid ‘troubling allegations’ about Chavez"},"content":{"rendered":"

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK\/KBFX) \u2014 The United Farm Workers announced Tuesday it will not participate in upcoming Cesar Chavez Day events, citing \u201cdeeply troubling allegations\u201d involving the union\u2019s late co-founder, Cesar Chavez.<\/p>\n

In a statement released<\/a> Tuesday morning, the labor organization said it has recently become aware of allegations that Chavez \u201cbehaved in ways that are incompatible with our organization\u2019s values.\u201d<\/p>\n

The union did not provide specifics, but said the most concerning claims involve alleged abuse of young women or minors.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have not received any direct reports, and we do not have any firsthand knowledge of these allegations,\u201d the statement reads. \u201cHowever, the allegations are serious enough that we feel compelled to take urgent steps to learn more.\u201d<\/p>\n

The UFW says it will instead encourage supporters to take part in immigration justice efforts and community service initiatives that support farmworkers and vulnerable populations.<\/p>\n

As part of its response, the organization says it is working with outside experts to create an independent, confidential reporting channel for anyone who may have experienced harm connected to Chavez during the early years of the union.<\/p>\n

Cesar Chavez Foundation responds<\/p>\n

The Cesar Chavez Foundation also released a statement<\/a> Tuesday acknowledging the allegations, calling them \u201cdisturbing\u201d and saying leadership is \u201cdeeply shocked and saddened.\u201d<\/p>\n

The foundation said it is working alongside leaders in the farmworker movement to support anyone who may have been harmed and to ensure a response grounded in \u201cjustice and community empowerment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn partnership with the UFW, we are establishing a safe and confidential process for those who wish to share their experiences of historic harm,\u201d the statement reads, adding that participants may choose to be involved in efforts toward \u201crepair and reconciliation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The organization also says it is investing additional resources to strengthen workplace culture and ensure it remains safe and welcoming.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe ask for our community\u2019s patience as we learn more,\u201d the foundation said.<\/p>\n

The union described the allegations as \u201cprofoundly shocking\u201d and acknowledged the emotional toll the news may have on the community, encouraging those affected to seek mental health support.<\/p>\n

Local ties to Delano<\/p>\n

Cesar Chavez, who co-founded the United Farm Workers in the 1960s, has deep ties to Kern County. Delano, California, served as a central hub for the early farmworker movement, including the historic Delano grape strike that helped bring national attention to labor conditions in the fields.<\/p>\n

Chavez is widely recognized as a civil rights leader who advocated for farmworker protections across California and the nation. His legacy is commemorated annually on Cesar Chavez Day, observed on March 31.<\/p>\n

BakerfieldNow has reached out to both the United Farm Workers and the Cesar Chavez Foundation and will update this story as more information becomes available.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK\/KBFX) \u2014 The United Farm Workers announced Tuesday it will not participate in upcoming Cesar Chavez…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":224383,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[151,153,152],"class_list":["post-224382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bakersfield","tag-bakersfield","tag-bakersfield-headlines","tag-bakersfield-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=224382"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224382\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/224383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=224382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=224382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=224382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}