Dolores Huerta Dies at 96, Leaving Labor Legacy Shadowed by Assault Allegations

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 28

California leaders on Wednesday hailed Dolores Huerta after her death at 96, casting the United Farm Workers co-founder as a transformative organizer for Latinos, immigrant farm workers and women.
That tribute is complicated by allegations that Huerta dismissed sexual assault and harassment complaints inside the union, raising fresh scrutiny of how she handled abuse claims.
In her final months, Huerta was also praised for disclosing that Cesar Chavez had raped her, after a New York Times investigation found he had groomed and sexually abused girls.
Huerta said she did not know Chavez had abused underage girls and argued she had been confronting a misogynistic culture in the organization when complaints surfaced.
Her death, six days before California voters could elect the state's first modern-era Latino governor, leaves historians weighing an iconic labor record against unresolved questions about accountability.