LAUSD moves to remove César Chávez name from two campuses and shift focus to holiday

Officials are trying to remove César Chávez’s name from two Los Angeles school campuses as allegations of rape and child sexual misconduct continue against the late labor leader.

The decision to rename the schools will be considered during an emergency meeting of the LA Board of Education that was scheduled as a “breakout board” to discuss revisions to the district’s strategic plan. The measure, added by board members Kelly Gonez and Rocio Rivas, contains other important provisions, including renaming César Chávez Day “Farm Workers Day” to honor the contributions of those workers in California.

The schools in question are César Chávez Learning Academies in San Fernando and César Chávez Elementary School in El Sereno. The rebranding process will be completed this fall.

Their resolution is called “Standing With Survivors and Recognizing Farm Workers” and it is almost certain that they will pass one way or another.

The board’s action would be another step by a government agency to clear Chávez’s name and move from speaking for Chávez to honoring the farm workers’ movement, and, in some cases, raising the names of his alleged victims.

As recently as March 10, the LA school board unanimously approved a resolution – sponsored by Gonez and Rivas – that recognized Chávez as a “true American hero.”

The revelations about Chávez appeared in a New York Times investigative report last week and include allegations that he raped organization leader Dolores Huerta and sexually assaulted two young girls.

LA Unified’s decision states that four of Chávez’s victims – Huerta, Ana Murguia, Debra Rojas, and Esmeralda Lopez – said they “should not have been forced to endure the trauma of the heinous and repeated abuse and sexual violence inflicted on them, or bear the burden of society’s expectations in peace for decades.”

The decision will move the region from honoring Chávez to celebrating farm workers.

The Board of Education “continues to celebrate the success of the Farm Workers Association as a result of working together and remains a testament to the power of people to demand dignity, respect and the advancement of labor rights and human rights,” the resolution said.

The cause remains “important and urgent to this day, including the rights of workers, the rights of immigrants, and the respect and dignity of all people,” according to the decision.

The decision also considers whether the allegations against Chávez could cause mental health problems for survivors of sexual assault.

Under the resolution, the district “will ensure that resources and counseling are made available to survivors of sexual violence in our school communities, who may be triggered and traumatized by these revelations, including ensuring that school sites have clear, confidential reporting mechanisms, trained staff and trauma-informed support for students affected by sexual violence.”

The allegations came during Women’s History Month, which, like the Chávez holiday, focuses on school teaching at this time of year.

There are connections that can be made in the classroom, says Alison Yoshimoto-Towery, executive director of the California Institute on Law, Neuroscience and Education at UCLA.

The allegations “are an important reminder that for generations, women have made critical contributions, often with self-sacrifice and little recognition,” said Yoshimoto-Towery, who led LA Unified’s educational efforts.

Unfortunately, he said: “Sometimes young people learn that compliance is more important than talking.” Schools are important places of learning to remove invisibility and self-sacrifice instead of personal pride and collectivity, creativity and voice.”

The decision also talks about strengthening “age-appropriate, culturally responsive instruction about consent, healthy relationships and abuse awareness.”

In addition, the resolution speaks further of “continuous efforts to integrate educational resources with the collective farm labor movement, rather than the history of one individual.”

Chávez’s research is deeply rooted in California’s curriculum and teacher education programs.