Cesar Chavez accused of rape: Who is Dolores Huerta? 5 things you need to know about sexual assault charges

Cesar Chavez accused of rape: 5 things you need to know about the shocking accusation

1. Huerta’s account of the events marked the first time she has shared her story publicly, and she said her decision to speak out was influenced by other accusers of Chavez.
2. She mentioned that two sexual encounters resulted in pregnancies that she kept hidden, eventually giving birth to the children and arranging for them to be raised by others.
3. Additionally, Huerta claimed that Chavez emotionally abused her. At a board meeting, he suggested she had embezzled funds from the organization. When she defended herself, Chavez called her a “stupid bitch.”
4. The civil rights icon said she struggled to reconcile Chávez’s dual roles as an abuser on the one hand and a civil rights leader on the other.
5. An investigation by The Times revealed that Chavez also sexually assaulted young girls Ana Murguia and Debra Rojas in the 1970s. Two women, now 66, said the experiences left them traumatized and led to the development of mental health problems.

United Farm Workers union releases statement

Following the explosive allegations, the United Farm Workers union announced they would not attend an event on his birthday on March 31, calling the allegations “disturbing.”