Lawsuit Accuses Cesar Chavez of Raping Woman at UFW Compound

An 86-year-old woman identified as Jane Doe filed a lawsuit in Kern County alleging that Cesar Chavez raped her in 1973 and sexually assaulted her again several years later while she lived with her family at the United Farm Workers’ La Paz compound. The complaint alleges that UFW employees and leaders knew about abuse by Chavez and other officials but failed to intervene, concealed evidence and helped keep survivors silent. She says the alleged abuse caused decades of depression, emotional distress, suicidal thoughts and alcohol dependency. The lawsuit names Chavez’s estate and affiliated nonprofit organizations, including the Cesar Chavez Foundation and UFW Foundation; reports differ on whether the United Farm Workers union itself is a defendant. The allegations have not been tested in court, Chavez died in 1993, and the Cesar Chavez Foundation said it is reviewing the complaint while the UFW Foundation had not publicly responded.