AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- The Texas Education Agency issued a directive Monday ordering all public school districts to scrub mentions of Cesar Chavez from their lesson plans, and cancel any 'Cesar Chavez Day' celebrations or observances set for next week.
The move follows recent sexual abuse allegations against the late labor leader.
TEA cited a provision in the Texas Education Code that exempts teachers from discussing "widely debated and currently controversial" social issues. While state curriculum typically requires Chavez be taught in fifth grade and U.S. History, the TEA stated the recent reports—including a New York Times investigation into allegations of assault against women and girls—now place his legacy in that "controversial" category.
The decision marks a significant shift for Texas, where Chavez’s 1966 march from Rio Grande City to Austin remains a landmark event in state civil rights history.
Last week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state agencies to cancel all "Cesar Chavez Day" observances on March 31.
