Overview
- The anonymous plaintiff filed a Jane Doe civil suit in Kern County Superior Court on Sept. 1, saying César Chávez raped her at the UFW compound La Paz in the spring of 1973.
- The complaint describes a second later assault and says the 86-year-old survivor has suffered decades of trauma, depression and ongoing therapy tied to the alleged attacks.
- The lawsuit names the César Chávez Foundation, the UFW Foundation and Chávez’s estate and asserts causes of action including negligent supervision, sexual harassment, negligent infliction of emotional distress and civil rights violations while seeking monetary damages and a jury trial.
- The César Chávez Foundation said it recently became aware of the complaint and is reviewing it with counsel, while the UFW Foundation and the United Farm Workers union have offered limited or no immediate comment.
- Plaintiffs brought the case under California’s AB 250 lookback window that reopened certain institutional claims and legal experts and the plaintiff’s lawyers say the filing could prompt additional suits and further reassessment of Chávez’s legacy.