AUSTIN, Texas — Nearly 20 years after it was unveiled and months after a New York Times investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against the late labor leader, the University of Texas at Austin removed its bronze statue of César Chávez on Thursday.
The report found that Chávez groomed and sexually abused young girls involved in the National Farm Workers Association, which he co-founded with Dolores Huerta. In her own statement, Huerta said she had two separate unwanted sexual encounters with Chávez in the 1960s that both led to pregnancies.
In light of the investigation, the City of Austin is now in the beginning stages of a community engagement plan to rename Cesar Chavez Street. According to the plan, the total cost if the city goes through with the name change is estimated between $423,700 and $1,223,700.
Some suggestions for a new street name include East First Street, Dolores Huerta and Jorge “George” Pastore, a senior police officer who died in the line of duty in 2023.
The current timeline of the plan includes:
June 2026: Prepare for engagement, finalize materials, project page, etc; confirm meeting locations, meeting design, etc.
July-August 2026: Conduct stakeholder outreach, promote, conduct community meetings and survey
September 2026: Compile/analyze findings and prepare public engagement report
Fall 2026: City Council considers next steps
The statue of Chávez had been at UT since 2007. It was designed by sculptor Pablo Eduardo and was mostly funded by students, according to Visit Austin.