California Governor Gavin Newsom said Wednesday he’s open to renaming Cesar Chavez Day, following allegations of long-term sexual abuse against the beloved civil rights leader. The governor’s comments came after a New York Times investigation revealed claims from women who say Chavez sexually abused them in California during the 1960s and 1970s while he held significant power within the farmworkers’ movement.
Newsom shared how tough it’s been to process this news. He mentioned his close relationship with one of the victims, Dolores Huerta, a co-founder of the United Farm Workers, saying, “It’s been hard to absorb this. Jenn and I are very close with Dolores [Huerta], so many of us are and have been for decades and decades, and none of us knew.” Per Newsweek, he added that he and his wife, Jennifer, stand with the victims.
