The Peralta Community College District may reconsider how César Chavez Day is observed after the New York Times published an investigative report where several women alleged they were groomed and sexually assaulted by the labor leader.

In a districtwide announcement, Chancellor Tammeil Gilkerson acknowledged the reports and wrote that the district would work with “campus communities and labor partners” to determine how the March 31 holiday will be acknowledged going forward.

Gilkerson wrote, “While we are determining our next steps, I encourage our community to hold space for reflection and to recognize the broader contributions of farmworker leaders and movements, as well as the history of the movement to end sexual violence.”

The holiday has been part of Peralta’s academic calendar as a district holiday since at least 2010 through collective bargaining agreements with unions. The district will still observe César Chavez Day this year, which falls during Spring break. 

The academic calendars for the years 2026-2027 and 2027-2028, which are already published on the district website, still recognize the César Chavez holiday until the district is able to come to a new agreement for future years with labor unions at Peralta.

Chavez, who co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) movement, is known as a key labor rights leader in California. His leadership during the Delano grape strike in 1965 helped draw national attention to the poor labor conditions of farmworkers and led to increased public support for their rights. 

But, following an investigation by the New York Times earlier this month brought forward allegations that Chavez had sexually abused women for years, including two minors and UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta, new scrutiny of Chavez’s legacy raised questions about how institutions commemorate historical figures and whether those commemorations reflect the full scope of the movement.

On March 17, three days before the publication of the New York Times article, the UFW released a statement condemning “troubling allegations” made against Chavez and canceled all events associated with the holiday. The organization claimed they did not receive “any direct reports” or have “firsthand knowledge of these allegations” at the time.

On March 26, California state governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 2156, which designates March 31st as “Farmworkers Day” instead. 

In response to an email from The Citizen, Gilkerson wrote that discussions about a potential name change at Peralta will begin at the Planning and Budgeting Committee level which include student, faculty, administrator, and classified professional representation from all the colleges in the district. 

“Based on the discussion at PBC, we’ll determine next steps for deeper levels of engagement with constituency groups,” Gilkerson wrote. “Ultimately, a final recommendation will need to be discussed with our unions and approved by the Board of Trustees.” 

Peralta Federation of Teachers (PFT) president Jeff Sanceri wrote in an email to The Citizen that he messaged the chancellor the day the news broke to raise concerns about continuing to center Chavez alone in light of the allegations.

Sanceri added that he urged district leadership to consider replacing the holiday with a broader recognition of the women who helped lead the farmworkers movement, including Huerta and organizer Maria Moreno. 

At the same time, Sanceri explained that the holiday has never been solely about Chavez himself. 

“The original César Chavez holiday was never just about the man,” Sanceri wrote. “It was also about the decades of collective struggle that farm workers endured while fighting for respect and human decency as workers.” 

Merritt Colleges’ Puente program, a student support program for Hispanic and Latino students, will host an event titled “Leadership from the Heart” which aims to center “the voices, leadership, and contributions of women in the ongoing fight for human rights.” The April 8 event will reflect on what organizers described as a “reimagining” of how Chavez’s legacy is recognized on campus.