LCPS continues to seek public input on Cesar Chavez Elementary name
Las Cruces Public Schools continues to seek public input on whether to rename Cesar Chavez Elementary amid recent scrutiny of Chavez’s legacy.
Discussion follows national scrutiny of Chavez’s legacy and recent abuse allegations
Organ Mountain News report
LAS CRUCES - Las Cruces Public Schools is continuing to gather public input on whether to remove the name Cesar Chavez from an elementary school on Holman Road.
The LCPS Board of Education held a special session Wednesday at Cesar Chavez Elementary to hear community feedback. Speakers included district staff and residents who spoke both in favor of removing the name and keeping it in place. The board did not take action.
Community members can continue to submit comments by email to input@lcps.net. District officials said all feedback will be compiled and shared with the board for consideration.
The discussion comes amid national scrutiny of Chavez’s legacy following recent media reports that raised allegations of misconduct dating back decades.
New Mexico officials on Wednesday responded to those reports, which were first detailed by The New York Times, with condemnation of the alleged conduct.
Dolores Huerta, a fellow union organizer and New Mexico native, said in a statement that Chavez manipulated and pressured her into sex and later forced her into another encounter. She said both incidents resulted in pregnancies and that the children were raised by other families.
Two women, Ana Murguia and Debra Rojas, also alleged they were groomed and sexually abused by Chavez as minors. Rojas said Chavez raped her when she was 15.
The allegations have prompted institutions across the country to reconsider Chavez’s public legacy, including the naming of schools, buildings and other honors.
Wednesday’s LCPS meeting was livestreamed. The next board meeting, which will also be streamed here, is scheduled for Tuesday, April 21, at 6 p.m. at the Dr. Karen M. Trujillo Administration Complex.
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