Discussion follows recent allegations tied to labor leader’s legacy; final decision rests with Board of Education

Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News

LAS CRUCES - The Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education will discuss a possible name change for Cesar Chavez Elementary School during its next scheduled meeting, following recent allegations that have raised questions about the legacy of the civil rights leader.

The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 24 at the Dr. Karen M. Trujillo Administration Complex, 505 S. Main Street. The meeting will also be livestreamed on LCPS-TV.

Cesar Chavez Elementary is a pre-K through third-grade campus located on the city’s East Mesa.

Discussion follows national controversy

The proposed discussion comes amid renewed national scrutiny of Cesar Chavez’s legacy after recent media reports raised allegations of misconduct dating back decades.

Those reports have prompted institutions across the country to reevaluate Chavez’s public legacy, including reconsidering the naming of schools, public buildings and other honors.

LCPS officials did not detail the specific allegations in the meeting notice but confirmed the discussion is tied to concerns about Chavez’s historical legacy.

Community input part of process

Any potential name change would involve community input, including feedback from families, staff and the broader public, according to district procedures.

Public comment opportunities are expected to be part of the process as the Board considers whether to move forward with a renaming.

Board holds final authority

While community feedback plays a role, the final decision to rename a school rests with the LCPS Board of Education.

Board members are expected to discuss next steps during Tuesday’s meeting, including whether to initiate a formal renaming process.

Allegations and responses

New Mexico officials on Wednesday responded with swift condemnation to revelations of sexual abuse allegations — first detailed in the New York Times — against Chavez, the late civil rights activist and United Farm Workers co-founder.

Some of those allegations came from fellow union organizer and New Mexico native Dolores Huerta, who issued a statement detailing for the first time two incidents with Chavez, one in which she said she was “manipulated and pressured into having sex with him,” and another time, she wrote, when “I was forced, against my will, and in an environment where I felt trapped.”

Both, she said, led to pregnancy and she had two children that she arranged to have raised by other families.

Two women, Ana Murguia and Debra Rojas (both 66 in 2026), alleged they were groomed and sexually abused by Chavez starting when they were 12 and 13 years old. Rojas stated Chavez raped her at a motel when she was 15.

In a statement provided to Source NM, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham called the allegations “shocking and horrifying” and said she supports “a full and thorough investigation of these deeply disturbing allegations, and my heart goes out to my friend Dolores Huerta and anyone else who suffered abuse. It’s important to remember that the labor rights movement — built on respect for human dignity and collective power — is larger than any one individual. We remain committed to honoring that history and the basic human rights that the movement fought to recognize.”

U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), in a statement, characterized the allegations against Chavez as “horrific.” Abuse of any kind, he continued “especially against children, is indefensible and a betrayal of the values that Latino leaders have championed for generations. There is no excuse.”

U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) issued a statement describing the accounts of abuse and rape by Chavez as “abhorrent and appalling, and I condemn his actions in the strongest terms possible. The survivors who came forward must be heard, supported, and taken seriously. This moment demands real accountability, including removing his name from our schools, streets, and other public landmarks. The movement Chavez helped advance belongs to the people and to the farmworkers, not any one person, and confronting the truth is necessary to move forward with justice, compassion, and integrity.”

How to attend the LCPS meeting

Members of the public can attend the meeting in person or watch it live through LCPS-TV. A copy of the meeting agenda is available through the district.

Damien Willis is founder and editor of Organ Mountain News. If you have a personal story to share or a lead we should follow up on, reach out at OrganMountainNews@gmail.com or connect with him on X at @damienwillis. The staff of Source New Mexico also contributed to this report.