Houston’s Cesar Chavez march canceled as allegations of sexual assault surface, organizers confirm

Cesar Chavez’s annual march in Houston was canceled as allegations of sexual abuse by a union activist surfaced Wednesday.

In a statement to Eyewitness News, Art Eureste, co-coordinator of the Cesar Chavez Houston March 2026, confirmed that the event had been canceled.

A New York Times article published Wednesday reported that the late farmworker organizer, who became a national civil rights icon, allegedly abused women and minors.

In a statement to ABC News, Dolores Huerta, the union activist who co-founded the United Farm Workers union with Chavez, said she was “manipulated and pressured into having sex” with him.

SEE ALSO: “I can’t stay silent anymore”: Dolores Huerta alleges sexual assault by Cesar Chavez

“I can no longer remain silent and I must share my own experiences,” Huerta said.

The union activist said she was now breaking her silence because the Times articles “indicated I was not alone; there were others.”

In a statement to ABC News, Chavez’s family commented on the allegations:

“Our family is devastated by today’s New York Times article about our father Cesar Chavez. This is deeply painful for our family. We wish peace and healing to the survivors and salute their courage to come forward. As a family steeped in the values of fairness and justice, we honor the voices of those who do not feel heard and who report sexual abuse. We carry our own memories of the person we knew. Someone whose life included work and contributions that matter deeply to many people. We remain committed to farm workers and the causes he and countless others have championed and continue to do so. We ask for understanding and respect for privacy as we continue to process this difficult information.

Other parades across Texas, including in San Antonio, Austin and Corpus Christi, have been canceled.