Fresno State will remove its Cesar Chavez statue amid 'profoundly troubling claims'

Nick Fenley, The Fresno Bee on Mar 18, 2026

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FRESNO, Calif. — Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval said the university will remove its statue of Cesar Chavez, prominently displayed in the campus Peace Garden, amid “profoundly troubling claims” against the civil rights icon emerged Wednesday in a New York Times investigation.

Jiménez-Sandoval said Wednesday afternoon in a letter to the Fresno State community that the statue would soon come down. By late Wednesday morning, hours after the Times report published, the statue had already been covered in a black cloth.

“These profoundly troubling claims about the rape of women and minors call for our full attention and moral reckoning by removing his statue from our campus,” Jiménez-Sandoval said.

The statue was erected in 1996 and currently stands in the Peace Garden, along with other statues memorializing other civil rights such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela.

The covered statue drew a lot of attention from students and passersby Wednesday. Some photographed the statue as they walked past the Peace Garden next to the university’s main library.

Fresno State junior Guadalupe Serna said he thought the university took action too quickly without solid evidence and questioned why the allegations against Chavez are emerging now.

On the other hand, Fresno State senior Oscar Alexander said he was surprised to see the university’s swift reaction.

“I think it’s cool that they took action that fast,” Alexander said.

Ofelia Gamez, director of the College Assistance Migrant Program at Fresno State, said she couldn’t comment on the allegations and that people have to let the process play out. Gamez said she hopes people don’t “lash out against” the work UFW does in response to the allegations against Chavez.

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