Four months after allegations of sexual abuse surfaced against César Chavez, the Oxnard School District has taken down a statue and painted over a mural of the late union leader and civil rights activist from the campus currently bearing his name.
The statue and mural at César Chavez School, previously covered by a tarp to prevent vandalism, were removed July 28 after a 3-2 vote during a June 3 board of trustees meeting, according to the school district.
The statue — which was initially donated to the district and cost roughly $20,000 to remove, according to an agenda report — is now in storage. If the district wishes to donate the bust to an archive, for example, the board would need to vote again.
The principal of César Chavez School did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On March 18, The New York Times published an article in which three women, including Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers with Chavez, described being molested or raped by Chavez.
Since the article’s publication, states, cities and school districts all over the country have started to distance themselves from Chavez. The Ventura County Board of Supervisors changed the name of the March 31 holiday from César Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day, and the Oxnard City Council is considering renaming César Chavez Drive.
On March 25, the Oxnard School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to move forward with the process to rename the campus at 301 N. Marquita St.
In 1993, the pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade campus in Oxnard’s La Colonia neighborhood was renamed for Chavez, who lived in La Colonia for some of his childhood and later worked in Oxnard as a labor and community organizer.
Since the March vote, a community advisory committee representing students, staff, parents and local organizations has held two meetings with a third planned for Aug. 4. The district has also hosted three listening sessions to gather input from students, staff and parents.
OSD has received 570 name submissions, and the committee has narrowed down the list to 14 based on the community feedback, district spokesperson Ginger Shea said in a phone call.
Working with Equity Praxis Group to research the suggestions, the committee will recommend three to five finalists to the superintendent, likely some time in August, Shea said.
Superintendent Ana DeGenna will then select one name, based on community-driven decision making, equity, inclusion and representation, community pride and student empowerment, according to the district. The board will then approve the selection.
“I am excited by some of the names that are being discussed, and I’m looking forward to what is ultimately recommended to the superintendent,” Shea said. “This is all community-driven.”
Reporter Tony Biasotti contributed to this story.
Makena Huey is an investigative and watchdog reporter for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at makena.huey@vcstar.com. This story was made possible by a grant from the Ventura County Community Foundation’s Fund to Support Local Journalism.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Oxnard School District removes César Chavez statue, mural from campus
Reporting by Makena Huey, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
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By Makena Huey, Ventura County Star | USA TODAY Network
