Texas will not observe Cesar Chavez Day this year. Gov. Greg Abbott announced yesterday that revelations of the progressive icon’s history of sexual assault are enough to withdraw the annual observance and strike it from state law.
Chavez, a socialist union organizer, has been hailed a hero on the left since before his death in 1993. Over the last 30 years, Democrats have rushed to name schools and streets after him. His birthday, March 31, became a federal holiday under Barack Obama in 2014.
Now, though, widely reported allegations that Chavez is a pedophile and sex predator have caused even former supporters to step back.
“The State of Texas will not observe the Cesar Chavez Day holiday. I am directing all Texas state agency heads to comply. In the upcoming legislative session, I will work with Texas lawmakers to remove Cesar Chavez Day from state law altogether,” said Abbott on Wednesday. “Reports of the horrific and widely acknowledged sexual assault allegations against Cesar Chavez rightfully dismantle the myth of this progressive hero and undermine the narrative that elevated Chavez as a figure worthy of official state celebration.”
Earlier in the day, the Mexican American Legislative Caucus issued a statement disavowing Chavez, noting that it is “prepared to lead efforts to remove the Cesar Chavez state holiday.”
