UPDATE: According to a March 20 CSUSM email, the statue has been removed. As of this update, Palomar has not issued any statement.
UPDATE: In a March 19 email, CSUSM confirmed the César Chávez statue will be removed and a group will be formed to discuss a replacement. The university will also host a community reflection session March 24.
SAN MARCOS — California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) changed the name of the annual Cesar Chavez Day of Service amid allegations of sexual assault against the civil rights leader.
This year, the event, which CSUSM is hosting in collaboration with Palomar College and MiraCosta College, will be renamed the North County Day of Service, citing “disturbing reports,” CSUSM President Ellen J. Neufeldt said in an email to the CSUSM community.
“In my time here, colleagues have helped me understand how our connection to Cesar Chavez has been strongly tied to CSUSM’s evolution and commitment to social justice. And what I want to affirm is that what we’ve built extends far beyond a single individual,” Neufeldt said in the email.
CSUSM will also place a temporary cover over a Chavez statue on campus while the university engages the campus community on next steps, according to the email. The move comes after a sign with the words “Rapist, Pedophile, Child Molester, Abuser, Con-Artist” printed on it was taped to the statue.
The renaming and covering of the statue at CSUSM came after a statement from the United Farm Workers (UFW) Foundation March 17 that acknowledged the allegations and canceled all its Cesar Chavez Day activities this month.
“As a women-led organization that exists to empower communities, the allegations about abusive behavior by Cesar Chavez go against everything that we stand for,” the UFW Foundation statement said. “These disturbing allegations involve inappropriate behavior by Cesar Chavez with young women and minors, they are shocking, indefensible and something we are taking seriously.”
National attention intensified following a multi-year New York Times investigation published March 18, that detailed multiple allegations of sexual abuse against Chavez, including claims involving minors. In the New York Times report, civil rights leader Dolores Huerta, a co-founder of the UFW Union, publicly accused Chavez of sexually assaulting her in the 1960s.
Palomar has not issued a statement as of publication.
Students seeking support can contact Behavioral Health Counseling Services at [email protected], call 760-891-753, or stop into NB-2 on the San Marcos Campus.
Additional Resources:
National Sexual Assault Hotline — free, confidential, 24/7 support in English and Spanish
- Call 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or text “HOPE” to 64673.
- Visit the RAINN website for resources and online chat options.
National Domestic Violence Hotline — free, confidential, 24/7 support in English, Spanish and other languages
- Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text “START” to 88788.
- Visit the hotline’s website for resources and online chat options.