Texas orders public schools to scrub Cesar Chavez from lessons

Key Points:

• The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has instructed all public schools to remove mentions of Cesar Chavez from lesson plans and cancel or redirect events for Cesar Chavez Day on March 31, following sexual abuse allegations against the labor leader.
• The directive aligns with Gov. Greg Abbott’s order not to observe the optional state holiday and cites Texas Education Code provisions allowing teachers to avoid teaching about controversial public policy issues.
• Current Texas social studies curricula require teaching about Chavez, but the TEA will not penalize schools for omitting him, and the State Board of Education is revising standards to likely exclude explicit Chavez content.
• In response, Austin schools will celebrate Dolores Huerta on March 31, while Houston renamed the holiday to Farmworkers Day and is considering renaming César E. Chávez High School amid ongoing concerns.
• The allegations against Chavez, revealed in a New York Times investigation, have prompted broader reevaluation of his legacy, including admissions from Huerta, who accused Chavez of sexual assault.