Addressing Recent Reports and Our Path Forward for the March 31st Holiday
Dear Gavilan College Community,
Like many of you, I am processing the deeply concerning reports and accusations of sexual misconduct involving Cesar Chavez. This morning, the gravity of these accounts was further amplified as Dolores Huerta shared her own experience of enduring abuse.
For many in our community, this news is painful and difficult to reconcile. Chavez has long stood as a central symbol of the civil rights and farmworker movements. However, we must prioritize the truth and the dignity of those who were harmed. I want to state clearly that my heart is with those who have come forward with accounts of harm/survivors and other reporting abuse. They deserve justice, and we have a responsibility to ensure that our historical understanding of this movement is honest and holds those in power accountable.
As March 31 approaches, I believe this moment calls on us to reconsider how we recognize that day. I will be working with college leadership and the Board of Trustees to consider an approach that more fully honors the farmworker movement, and the thousands of workers whose labor and sacrifice shaped it, and leaders such as Dolores Huerta and Larry Itliong.
Please know that we are approaching this transition with the utmost care, reflection, and respect for our community’s history. Our commitment is to create a campus environment where the values of justice and safety are not just celebrated in our past, but active in our present. We will continue to move forward with thoughtfulness and transparency as we determine the best way to honor the true spirit of the farmworker movement and all those who built it.
Kind Regards,
Dr. Pedro Avila
Superintendent/President
5055 Santa Teresa Boulevard | Gilroy, CA 95020
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