Three North Texas schools dedicated to Cesar Chavez could face a reckoning with their names, after sexual assault allegations against the long-admired labor leader came to light.
The New York Times published an investigation this week, detailing his alleged sexual abuse of two underage girls and assault of Dolores Huerta, with whom he co-founded the United Farm Workers. Across the country and state, politicians have called for a halt to observing his holiday and for stripping his name from streets and buildings.
That removal of his name could include schools: César Chávez Learning Center in Dallas ISD, Cesar Chavez Elementary School in Fort Worth and Cesar Chavez Elementary in Little Elm ISD.
Dallas ISD Board of Trustees President Joe Carreón, who represents the area that includes César Chávez Learning Center, said he “will work with the campus community to begin the process of determining the future name of the school.”
The Education Lab
Related
Little Elm ISD was “made aware late yesterday” of the recent news, a spokesperson said in an email. The campus was named after the labor leader 24 years ago.
“Like many in our community, we are just learning of this information and are taking time to better understand the context,” she said.
The Fort Worth ISD board has not yet discussed whether to rename the school, since the allegations against Chavez came up this week, said Roxanne Martinez, its president.
The nation is grappling with how to evaluate the legacy of Chavez, a labor leader who secured better wages and health care for farmhands during the 1960s. He is considered a Latino icon, with his contributions widely recognized by Democratic leaders.
Huerta, in a Wednesday statement, said she stayed silent for 60 years to protect the farmworker movement. In one instance, she said she was “manipulated and pressured,” and in another, she was “forced against my will.”
In Dallas, some City Council members were pushing to designate April 10 as “Dolores Huerta Day.” The fate of Cesar Chavez Boulevard, which runs south of Interstate 30 near Old City Park and up near the Farmers Market, is also up in the air.
For a school name change, board approval is required, according to Dallas ISD policy. Recommendations are first submitted to the principal. The proposal eventually gets passed along to the trustee representing the school’s area.
The board typically reviews proposals in February and votes in March. Proposed changes must be submitted before January to be included in that year’s consideration process.
In 2017, Dallas ISD voted to fast-track changing the names of four schools dedicated to Confederate generals. In 2021, the district renamed three campuses originally honoring men with ties to the Confederacy
Related
Chavez died in Arizona in 1993 at age 66.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.
The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, Judy and Jim Gibbs, The Meadows Foundation, The Murrell Foundation, Ron and Phyllis Steinhart, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Sydney Smith Hicks, and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.