The allegations against Cesar Chavez could have sweeping legal and financial implications for the United Farm Workers, legal experts say, because California in recent years has lengthened the statute of limitations for victims to file civil sexual abuse claims.
Survivors of childhood sexual abuse can now file civil lawsuits until age 40 or within five years of discovering an emotional injury was linked to the abuse, whichever is later. If the sexual abuse occurred after the survivor turned 18, a new state law now allows sex assault claims to be filed through Dec. 31, 2027. If the survivor was facing a physical or emotional threat, the statute of limitations must be paused until the threat goes away.
Survivors, however, cannot sue Mr. Chavez’s estate because the law governing estate claims allows only a one-year legal window, according to legal experts. But U.F.W., the organization he founded, could be held liable, lawyers say, with steep damages to be paid by the union’s insurer or the union itself.
Survivors of childhood sexual abuse not only can sue their perpetrators civilly in California but can also sue any institution that knew or should have known the abuse happened.
“Because he was president of the union, it may be that liability is almost automatic,” said John C. Manly, a Southern California lawyer who has represented victims in hundreds of childhood sexual abuse lawsuits. Plaintiffs include many top female gymnasts who were assaulted by the former U.S.A. Gymnastics doctor Lawrence G. Nassar.
“It’s all about who knew what when.”
Both the Cesar Chavez Foundation and the United Farm Workers have released statements acknowledging the abuse allegations. Foundation officials said that they were “deeply shocked and saddened” and were working with leaders in the farmworker movement to support those who may have been harmed.
The U.F.W. said the organizations had established a channel “for those who wish to share their experiences of harm, to identify their current impacts and needs, and, if desired, to participate in a collective process to develop mechanisms for repair and accountability.”
Mr. Manly said that the union could face “tremendous exposure,” depending on the number of women who come forward. Sexual abuse lawsuits under California’s expanded statutes of limitations have already pushed some churches, municipalities and school districts in the state to the brink of financial crisis.
U.F.W., however, does not have anywhere near the funding levels those entities have. The union reported net assets of $7.1 million and revenues of $8.3 million in a 2023 I.R.S. tax filing. The union was not immediately available on Wednesday to comment on the potential for legal liability.
Last year, Los Angeles County made international headlines after it agreed to pay $4 billion to settle nearly 7,000 sex abuse claims brought by adults who were children in its juvenile detention and foster care systems. The deal, approved by county leaders, was the largest of its kind in U.S. history.
Sheelagh McNeill contributed research.
Shawn Hubler is The Times’s Los Angeles bureau chief, reporting on the news, trends and personalities of Southern California.
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