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The following is a statement from 30 former and elected Yolo County leaders regarding the allegations against Cesar Chavez and their stance in solidarity with survivors of sexual assault.
Women’s History Month and recent news about survivors of sexual abuse — including statements from Dolores Huerta and other women — calls us to speak. We, past and present elected, leaders of Yolo County stand together in support of survivors and against sexual abuse and harassment.
Huerta’s statement does not condemn movements working to better humanity, nor does it diminish them. Rather, it illuminates the troubling ways that those with less power are forced to confront and navigate abuse within the very spaces meant to uplift them. We must continue working towards unity and collaboration.
As current and former elected officials, we commit to respecting and maintaining appropriate boundaries in both public and private spheres, and to holding one another accountable for our behavior and actions. No matter who the abuser is, accountability must extend across all systems and spheres. We honor the courage it takes to come forward, especially from communities fighting injustice, and encourage anyone who experiences or witnesses sexual abuse or harassment to do so.
We also want to ensure that survivors and victims in our county know that support is available. And may we continue to work together toward gender equity and other forms of justice for farm workers and all in our schools and in our society.
In Service,
Norma Alcala, Sheila Allen, Angel Barajas, Laura Brubaker, Lea Darrah, Elizabeth Esquivel, Lucas Frerichs, Kandice Fowler, Cecilia E. Greenwald, Bibiana Garcia, Martha Guerrero, Hiram Jackson, Garth Lewis, Jesse Loren, David Moreno, Melissa Moreno, Julian Munoz, Elizabeth Moon, Donna Neville, Maria J. Olmedo, Jesse Ortiz, Gloria Partida, Albert Vallecillo, Mayra Vega, Rogelio Villagrana, Oscar Villegas, Bapu Vaitla, Jackie Wong, Shelton Yip
Former elected officials: Xóchitl Rodriguez, Don Saylor, Mariko Yamada, and Deborah B. Zavala
March 18, 2026: Today, civil rights leader Dolores Huerta issued the following statement:
“I am nearly 96 years old, and for the last 60 years have kept a secret because I believed that exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement I have spent my entire life fighting for.
I have encouraged people to always use their voice. Following the New York Times’ multi-year investigation into sexual misconduct by Cesar Chavez, I can no longer stay silent and must share my own experiences.
As a young mother in the 1960s, I experienced two separate sexual encounters with Cesar. The first time I was manipulated and pressured into having sex with him, and I didn’t feel I could say no because he was someone that I admired, my boss and the leader of the movement I had already devoted years of my life to. The second time I was forced, against my will, and in an environment where I felt trapped.
I had experienced abuse and sexual violence before, and I convinced myself these were incidents that I had to endure alone and in secret. Both sexual encounters with Cesar led to pregnancies. I chose to keep my pregnancies secret and, after the children were born, I arranged for them to be raised by other families that could give them stable lives.
Over the years, I have been fortunate to develop a deep relationship with these children, who are now close to my other children, their siblings. But even then, no one knew the full truth about how they were conceived until just a few weeks ago.
I carried this secret for as long as I did because building the movement and securing farmworker rights was my life’s work. The formation of a union was the only vehicle to accomplish and secure those rights and I wasn’t going to let Cesar or anyone else get in the way. I channeled everything I had into advocating on behalf of millions of farmworkers and others who were suffering and deserved equal rights.
I have never identified myself as a victim, but I now understand that I am a survivor — of violence, of sexual abuse, of domineering men who saw me, and other women, as property, or things to control.
I am telling my story because the New York Times has indicated that I was not the only one — there were others. Women are coming forward, sharing that they were sexually abused and assaulted by Cesar when they were girls and teenagers.
The knowledge that he hurt young girls sickens me. My heart aches for everyone who suffered alone and in silence for years. There are no words strong enough to condemn those deplorable actions that he did. Cesar’s actions do not reflect the values of our community and our movement.
The farmworker movement has always been bigger and far more important than any one individual. Cesar’s actions do not diminish the permanent improvements achieved for farmworkers with the help of thousands of people. We must continue to engage and support our community, which needs advocacy and activism now more than ever.
I will continue my commitments to workers, as well as my commitment to women’s rights, to make sure we have a voice and that our communities are treated with dignity and given the equity that they have so long been denied.
I have kept this secret long enough. My silence ends here.”
If you are a survivor or if you have been impacted by any type of sexual violence, please visit the Dolores Huerta Foundation website, where you will find a list of resources for support. https://doloreshuerta.org/sexual_assault_resources/
Local victim resources:
Empower Yolo — 24/7 Crisis Line: 530-662-1133 | 175 Walnut Street, Woodland: 530-661-6336 | empoweryolo.org. Free and confidential crisis intervention, shelter, counseling, legal help, and advocacy. The abuse does not have to be recent to qualify for services.
Yolo County District Attorney Victim Services — Resource counseling, referrals, and advocacy for survivors navigating the justice system. yoloda.org/victim-assistance-family-protection
Cameron’s Place (Yolo County DA’s Office) — Trauma-sensitive services for child survivors, including forensic interviews, medical exams, therapy, and advocacy.
California Victim Compensation Program (CalVCP) — Financial assistance for crime-related costs. Apply through the Yolo County Victim Witness Assistance Center or at caldoj.ca.gov/calvcp.
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline — 1-800-656-4673, available 24/7
National Domestic Violence Hotline — 1-800-799-7233, available 24/7
