Solis Issues Statement Following Survivor Testimonies Involving Cesar Chavez

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Los Angeles County Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement in response to accounts of sexual violence involving Cesar Chavez, including those shared by labor leader Dolores Huerta and other survivors:

“I am deeply shaken by the abuse involving Cesar Chavez, including the horrific account shared by my close friend, Dolores Huerta, and other survivors. These allegations are grave and deeply painful, and they demand a thorough, transparent, and trauma-informed response.

I stand with Dolores and with every survivor who has carried these experiences in silence. I know the courage it takes to come forward after so many years, especially when it means confronting powerful legacies and reliving profound personal trauma. Survivors must be believed, supported, and treated with dignity. They must never again be made to feel that their voices are secondary to any movement or individual.

We must also recognize and uplift the critical role of Dolores Huerta and countless women whose leadership, vision, and resilience have shaped the labor movement and advanced justice for generations of workers.

As we reckon with these revelations, Los Angeles County must take thoughtful and deliberate action. I will be introducing a motion to explore renaming the County holiday that currently recognizes Cesar Chavez. This process will be guided by community and labor partners and grounded in the same collective bargaining process that established the holiday. The motion will also direct an exploration of renaming parks, streets, County facilities, real property, monuments, and other County programs that bear the name of Cesar Chavez, including the removal of related imagery in civic artworks, with decisions guided by community engagement.

We can continue to honor the farmworker movement and its enduring contributions while also confronting difficult truths. Our responsibility is to center survivors, demand accountability, and ensure that our public recognitions reflect our shared values.”