By Thom Weidlich and Eric Rose

A major story broke last week when allegations surfaced that legendary labor leader Cesar Chavez had sexually abused women and girls. From a crisis communications point of view, it was most interesting to see how the United Farm Workers, which Chavez cofounded, responded, especially early on when the accusations’ origins were unclear.

Chavez, who died in 1993 at age 66, famously led the Delano grape strike in the 1960s and the lettuce strike in 1970–1971, in addition to cofounding the UFW labor union. On March 17, the union issued a statement announcing it would not participate in this year’s Cesar Chavez Day events due to the accusations. Chavez’s birthday, March 31, is an official holiday in several U.S. cities and states.

When the UFW decided to pull out of the activities — not a small decision — there hadn’t yet been an official report of the accusations. “We have not received any direct reports, and we do not have any firsthand knowledge of these allegations,” it wrote in the statement. “However, the allegations are serious enough that we feel compelled to take urgent steps to learn more and provide space for people who may have been victimized to find support and to share their stories if that is what they choose.” It called the allegations “deeply troubling.”

Symbolic Step

Clearly, the UFW was trying to do the right thing, while also trying not to say too much. Pulling out of the Chavez Day activities was a highly visible, symbolic step that signaled to the public that it took the claims seriously and wouldn’t reflexively defend its cofounder. It showed a willingness to act before all the facts were known. The union was careful to frame what it knew and didn’t know and yet still deemed the allegations “deeply troubling.”

That’s a tough crisis communications position to be in, and the union handled it well. The UFW also said it was setting up a process for victims to come forward and tell their stories, which showed that its focus was on the victims.

On March 18, what was happening came more into focus: The New York Times published a major exposé on the allegations against Chavez, which was clearly the source for all the anxiety. The NYT reportedly spent five years on the story. The article included that 10 years ago a woman posted on a Facebook group for Chavez organizers and supporters that Chavez had molested her, so at least one allegation was out there.

One of the women who confirmed to the NYT that Chavez had sexually assaulted her is Dolores Huerta, the UFW cofounder who is now 95 years old. She then released her own statement.

Events, Honors

It’s amazing how quickly both before but mostly after the NYT story was published that groups moved to cancel Chavez events or honors, including buildings and streets named after him. Sacramento covered up a statue of Chavez in a city park (pictured).

On March 16, the Arizona César E. Chávez + Dolores Huerta Holiday Coalition said in a Facebook post it was canceling a Chavez march and car show planned for March 21. It said that instead it would hold a rally under a new name, Comunidad y Labor Unity Fair. (Most of Chavez’s labor activism took place in California, but he was born in Yuma, Arizona.)

It’s a crisis that’s being taken very seriously. Within a day of the NYT story coming out, California legislators introduced legislation to change Cesar Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day.

Photo Credit: Photo Spirit/Shutterstock

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