Fort Worth ISD takes steps to remove Cesar Chavez holiday and school’s name
Fort Worth ISD has taken steps to distance itself from the civil rights and labor activist Cesar Chavez, following state and nationwide efforts to remove the holiday named after him and remove his name from buildings.
A Tuesday night school board meeting included two agenda items to remove Chavez’s name from the school district.
One item was to rescind the resolution recognizing the Monday before Chavez’s March 31 birthday as a school holiday. The motion was approved unanimously with eight people voting and one board member not present.
“It is further resolved that this action by the Board of Managers is not to discredit the work done by many who sought to empower farmworkers in their fight for civil rights and justice for the voiceless in our society,” said Luis A. Galindo, a Texas Education Agency appointment for the Board of Managers. “It’s now further resolved that this action by the Board of Managers honors the life and legacy of Dolores Huerta and her work further to fight for justice and supports creating an environment for all survivors of sexual assaults to be able to come forward, be heard, respected and treated justly.”
The other agenda item was to change a board policy on the naming and renaming of new or existing District schools and facilities, and to solicit community-nominated names for consideration. The item did not mention Cesar Chavez by name, but Fort Worth ISD has a school named Cesar Chavez Elementary School located in the Diamond Hill neighborhood.
The motion passed unanimously eight to zero with one board member not present.
The agenda item to amend board policies regarding naming and renaming district facilities was due to the policy not being updated, and it includes specific limiting provisions that require a formal petition and voting process, according to the agenda. The new policy will give the district’s administration greater flexibility to solicit and collect proposed names from the local community for presentation to the Board, which will have the final decision on the naming or renaming of a school or facility.
These two decisions from the school district come after a New York Times investigation revealed that Chavez, who died in 1993, groomed and assaulted girls for years who were connected to the movement that led to better pay and conditions for farmworkers.
Dolores Huerta, 95, who co-founded the United Farm Workers with Chavez, told the newspaper she was raped and impregnated twice by Chavez.
As a result of the allegations, the Texas Education Agency directed all school systems to “cancel or otherwise redirect events and activities tied to Chavez” and “eliminate, modify and otherwise alter any learning activities, individual lessons, and ancillary material” that reference Chavez.
In a statement, Governor Greg Abbott said the state will no longer observe the holiday. “I am directing all Texas state agency heads to comply,” Abbott said in the statement. “In the upcoming legislative session, I will work with Texas lawmakers to remove Cesar Chavez Day from state law altogether.
Last month, the city of Fort Worth voted unanimously to remove honorary street designations of Chavez along 28th Street, which were added by the city in 2020. Chavez’s name appeared between North Main and Beach Street. On March 19, street toppers were removed from the street.
Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare said in a statement he aims to replace Cesar Chavez Day with Veterans Day in the 2027 calendar.
The Cesar Chavez & Dolores Huerta Committee of Tarrant County, which formed in 2016, declared it will go by ¡Sí Se Puede! Committee of Tarrant County. Sí Se Puede is the iconic motto of the United Farm Workers of America, which was founded by both Chavez and Huerta. The new name will be temporary until the organization permanently rebrands itself.
