Statement on Cesar Chavez Abuse Allegations

We are heartbroken by today’s news reports about disturbing allegations that Cesar Chavez engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior with women and minors during his time as President of the United Farm Workers of America (UFW).

The safety and rights of women and children are non-negotiable in the fight for social justice. Our thoughts and intentions are with those who experience harm when patterns of oppression and abuses of power are recreated within movements for change.

While CRLA was founded in 1966 as part of the federal War on Poverty, our founders were deeply inspired by the Latino and Filipino communities who united their civil rights struggles in the Farmworker Movement and UFW. 

Over our 60-year history as a nonprofit, anti-poverty law firm, we have had the privilege to represent farmworkers in notable legal victories that have made work safer and fairer for all Californians. Our advocacy has and will continue to center community and human wellbeing. 

We are monitoring the situation as more information becomes publicly available, while also respecting those whose stories are theirs to tell or not tell. 

We find strength in remembering that broader social justice movements are about so much more than one person and remain committed to co-creating a just and equitable future where all people can thrive. 

In solidarity,
Jessica Manriquez Jewell
President and CEO