Cesar Chavez became a national hero for his advocacy of farmworkers' rights. Here he gives a talk at Boston University in April 1979.

Multiple women told The New York Times that Mexican American civil rights hero Cesar Chavez assaulted them decades ago, including when some were just girls, one as young as 13. Over their multiyear investigation, published on March 18, 2026, journalists at the paper found “extensive evidence” of that abuse by poring over historical records and conducting interviews with more than 60 people.

While yearslong investigations into abuse allegations are rare, silence about abuse is common.

Originally published on theconversation.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.