Tarrant County to end Cesar Chavez Day after sexual abuse allegations revealed
After sexual allegations were raised about Cesar Chavez, Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare said the county must cease honoring Cesar Chavez Day on March 31.
A Wednesday New York Times article revealed allegations that the Latino civil rights activist had sexually abused girls for years.
Following the initial article, Dolores Huerta, his co-leader of the United Farm Workers union, published a statement saying Chavez had raped and impregnated her twice.
Typically, a decision about county holidays would be determined by the commissioners court in one of its monthly meetings, but the next scheduled meeting date is April 14, after the holiday has passed.
O’Hare said he is exploring legal options to remove Cesar Chavez Day as a county holiday without having to call a special session, but he is prepared to if necessary.
It would be inappropriate to recognize Cesar Chavez Day, O’Hare said. He aims to replace it with Veterans Day in the 2027 calendar.
Cesar Chavez Day has been a paid holiday for county employees since 2001. An August 2024 commissioners court agenda initially included a proposition to swap out Veterans Day as an employee holiday instead, but the motion never made it to the court.
The statement put out by O’Hare’s office Wednesday said all previously scheduled trips county employees had planned for the March 31 holiday will be honored.
“From targeting minors to forcing himself on his co-founder Dolores Huerta, impregnating her twice, these claims are horrific,” O’Hare’s statement said. “We should all pray for the victims involved.”
Republican County Commissioner Manny Ramirez, the first Latino ever elected to the Tarrant commissioners court, said he can no longer honor or celebrate Cesar Chavez in any way.
He said in a statement that the allegations, if substantiated, are disgusting and feel like a betrayal of trust and power.
As the father of three daughters and the grandson of migrant farmworkers, Ramirez said he will instead be honoring Hispanic Americans’ contributions to the nation on March 31.
This story was originally published March 18, 2026 at 6:34 PM.