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Two schools in D.C. and Prince George’s County are considering name changes after sexual abuse and assault allegations surfaced against the late labor leader Cesar Chavez.
“The news reports about Cesar Chavez and his abuse of women and underage minors are deeply shocking and incredibly disappointing,” D.C.’s Cesar Chavez Public Charter School for Public Policy said in a statement. “The Board will thoughtfully consider changing the name … and will engage in discussions grounded in our values and commitment to students and families.”
The school in Southeast D.C. serves middle and high school students.
Prince George’s County Public Schools described the allegations as “deeply troubling” in a statement and said the school system is evaluating the next steps for the naming of Cesar Chavez Dual Spanish Immersion School in Hyattsville, a public charter school for kindergarten through fifth grade students.
The New York Times was the first to report accusations this week that Chavez, who died in 1993, raped and sexually abused women and girls involved in the movement to organize migrant farmworkers in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s.
The news touched off a wave of name change actions and pledges across the U.S. from cities and states with schools, streets, monuments and days of celebration named for Chavez.
In Prince George’s County, the school district said the renaming process includes forming a committee of students, staff, parents and community members, then having a naming commission review three suggested names. The superintendent then makes recommendations to the school board, which makes the final decision.
D.C. charter schools have changed their names in the past through a public process that includes opportunities for comment and a vote by the D.C. Public Charter School Board.
WTOP has asked the D.C. board for comment on the Chavez allegations and more information on the procedures involved in renaming charter schools.
