Let’s act like all survivors are watching how we respond to Chavez news

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The revelation that Cesar Chavez abused women and girls has shocked the nation. Once again, someone in a position of power and trust has misused that power and trust to harm other people.

As a community organization that assists thousands of survivors each year and seeks to stop abuse from happening, our first thoughts are with the brave survivors who felt they had no choice but to remain silent for decades.

The fact is, the vast majority of sexual assault survivors never report. They may try but are not believed by those closest to them. For whatever reason, silence is often, tragically, a safer path. All survivors make that choice for themselves and owe no one an explanation for their decision. And there’s no expiration date on disclosing sexual violence, or receiving support.

Our next thoughts are with the wider community of survivors who are hearing this story and perhaps facing a decision about whether it’s right for them to speak out. We are here with free, confidential advocacy whenever a survivor seeks help, and regardless of whether they choose to report the assault or not. All of our comprehensive services – advocacy, therapy, family support – are available in both English and in Spanish.

Many are observing how such a public figure who fought for the rights of vulnerable workers can also be someone who would victimize the very people he sought to protect.

What makes cases like this one particularly painful for communities is the layer of grooming that extends far beyond the individual victim. Abusers who hold positions of extraordinary power — moral authority, cultural heroism, community trust — groom not only the people they harm, but entire communities. They build reputations so carefully that when a survivor finally speaks up, that survivor faces not one person who may disbelieve them, but a movement, a family, even a legacy. The message, whether spoken or not, becomes: If you tell, you will be seen as the one who destroys something sacred. That is not an accident. It is strategy. And recognizing it as such is something our community can do right now, collectively, to begin to make things right.

Choosing safety should never mean choosing between one’s own healing and a community, a family or a cause still worth believing in. That no good choice existed is a wound inflicted by the abuser.
We ask our community to resist the urge to weigh a survivor’s pain against a legacy. Both things can be true. And right now, the people who were harmed — as well as the legions of survivors watching this unfold — need to know that their community will choose them.

If you are a survivor navigating exactly this kind of painful crossroads, or a family member trying to support one, please reach out to KCSARC. We hold space for the complexity of your experience — all of it — without judgment and without pressure.

You are not alone, and you never should have been made to feel that you were.

KCSARC’s 24-hour Resource Line is available 24/7 for free, confidential support and information to help you determine next steps that are right for you. Whenever you’re ready, call 1.888.998.6423.

Para obtener información y ayuda en español: 425-282-0324 (L-V 8 a.m.-5 p.m.)