Psychological toll of betrayal trauma may help explain why women kept silent for decades after alleged abuse by civil rights icon Cesar Chavez
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Multiple women disclosed decades of assault allegations against civil rights icon Cesar Chavez, with psychologists explaining why victims remained silent.
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Multiple women disclosed to The New York Times that civil rights icon Cesar Chavez assaulted them over decades, with the newspaper publishing extensive evidence from historical records and interviews with more than 60 people on March 18, 2026. One victim was as young as 13 when the abuse began. A clinical psychologist explains that "betrayal trauma theory" helps account for the decades-long silence: victims who depend on their abusers—as these women depended on Chavez as their boss and movement leader—face extraordinary pressure to stay quiet for fear of losing necessary relationships and resources. Additional layers of trauma compounded the silence, including cultural betrayal (abuse by a figure representing the Latino civil rights movement) and institutional betrayal when the United Farm Workers union failed to respond appropriately. Women also feared internal disbelief and blamed themselves, factors research shows are common barriers to disclosing sexual abuse.
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The New York Times published extensive evidence from historical records and interviews with more than 60 people on March 18, 2026.
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