Ana Murguia claimed the abuse started when she was just 13, while Debra Rojas said she was first assaulted at 12 and later raped at 15.
Both women described a pattern of grooming that began when they were as young as 8 or 9 years old.
Murguia said she was repeatedly molested in Chavez’s office, leaving her deeply traumatized and suicidal as a teenager. Rojas recounted being taken to a motel during a union march, where she said Chavez assaulted her.
Their claims are supported by interviews, documents, and people they confided in over the years, according to the Times investigation.
In a stunning revelation, longtime activist Dolores Huerta — Chavez’s closest ally — also alleged he sexually assaulted her, a claim she had never previously made public.
She described an incident in 1966 and said she later bore two of his children, which she kept secret.
The investigation further found Chavez fathered at least four children with multiple women outside his marriage, with paternity supported by family accounts and DNA evidence.
