Santa Ana’s Cesar Chavez High School will be renamed in honor of Dolores Huerta following allegations that recently surfaced the Chicano labor and union organizer had groomed and sexually abused females in the movement.
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The change was approved by the Santa Ana Unified School District this week.
“Dolores Huerta High School will stand as a powerful reminder of the importance of civic engagement, representation, and service to others,” Superintendent Lorraine Perez said in a statement.
Updates to school signage and related materials tied to the official name change are underway, with the new name set to officially take effect July 1. The district had covered up Chavez’s name on the school building shortly after a March New York Times story published on its investigation into allegations that women, including Huerta, had been assaulted by Chavez decades prior.
The news report sparked cities, school districts and other organizations around Southern California to reconsider tributes to Chavez, who died in 1993 just a year before the high school opened.
The decision to change the school’s name was made in collaboration with SAUSD students, parents, staff, and community members who were surveyed during the name-change process, with Huerta emerging as an “overwhelming choice” among respondents, district officials said. The name was then recommended by district staff to the Board of Education, which approved the change on May 19.
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Huerta, a renowned Chicana labor leader and civil rights activist, worked alongside Chavez and recently opened up about experiencing sexual abuse by her colleague, a revelation that shocked many. District officials said her contributions to social justice reflect SAUSD’s “commitment to equity, perseverance, and service.”
Santa Ana College and the city Santa Ana have also started the process to remove references to Chavez, which includes a 6.3-acre community park at Fifth and Susan streets and a building at the community college.
“This decision reflects the voices of our students, families, staff, and community members,” SAUSD board President Katelyn Brazer Aceves said in a statement. “We are grateful to everyone who participated in this process and helped ensure that the new name honors our shared values and the legacy of the civil rights and farmworker movements.”
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