Eugene School District 4J is moving forward with renaming César E. Chávez Elementary School after a unanimous vote by the school board on June 17.
4J is one of dozens of institutions that named buildings or landmarks after Latino and workers’ rights leader César Chávez, but now are reconsidering the honor after reports of sexual abuse of girls and rape of civil rights icon and colleague Dolores Huerta came to light. The accusations entered the public eye through a The New York Times investigation published in March.
“For some, the name continues to represent pride and identity, for others the new information has created attention and concern,” 4J Chief of Staff Carmen Xiomara Urbina said to the board in April. “This is not a simple nor one-dimensional issue. It is complex and for many, deeply personal.”…