An update on our work to confront and reconcile the allegations against César Chávez

Over the past several weeks, many in our community have taken time to proce

To the San José State University community,

Over the past several weeks, many in our community have taken time to process the deeply troubling revelations regarding César Chávez, including serious allegations of sexual assault. As we move from reflection to action, I am writing to share the steps we are taking as a university and to invite your continued engagement in shaping how we move forward together.

I commend the many members of our community who have already stepped forward to engage in thoughtful dialogue, reflection, and support. As an academic community, we are called to confront difficult truths with honesty and integrity. This includes reckoning with credible accounts of harm while also examining the broader historical context in which individuals and movements are situated. San José State University is located in a city closely connected to the farmworker movement and we recognize both the profound impact of that movement and the responsibility to address harm with clarity, accountability, and care.

Our role is to resolve these tensions, engaging thoughtfully and guided by our shared values of equity, inclusion, integrity, and respect for human dignity.

To support this process, I invite you to participate in the upcoming:

“Resilient Dialogue in a Time for Care, Community, and Accountability: A Teach-In on César Chávez”
3 - 4:15 p.m. tomorrow (April 21) | ENG 285–287

This teach-in is an opportunity for dialogue, reflection, and shared inquiry. It is also part of a broader commitment to ensure our campus remains a place where complex and difficult issues can be explored with care, intellectual rigor, and respect for lived experiences.

At the request of Associated Students, I have approved an interim renaming of the Associated Students Community Action Center formerly called the César Chávez Community Action Center.
Senior Associate Vice President Maria O’Callaghan-Cassidy will lead our university leadership team in working with the Art Committee and other campus stakeholders to examine the physical representations of César Chávez across campus. These conversations require thoughtful and complex consideration of history, impact, and community voice. We encourage you to participate in this process, including opportunities for input through the Art Committee and our engagement padlet.
We will also update the relevant presidential directives or policies about art on campus.
As appropriate we will support the City of San Jose in their comprehensive review of naming and relevant artifacts across our community.

As we move forward, our commitment is to ensure that the contributions of the farmworker movement are understood in an inclusive way and uplifting the leadership of women and marginalized voices whose roles may have been overlooked.

Thank you for your continued engagement, your care for one another, and your willingness to participate in shaping how we move forward together.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson

President

Note: this message is being sent to the entire SJSU community, including to employees (faculty and staff) outside the regular SpartanMessenger cadence, to communicate a significant development directly from the President. Any and all non-urgent and routine email communications to employees must still be submitted to SpartanMessenger. Non-urgent news to students may be sent through the Sammy app and/or email.

University Communications | Office of the President

One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192

sjsu.edu

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