Modesto meeting, seeking public input on Chavez Park name in light of allegations
The city of Modesto will have a meeting to discuss the name of Cesar E. Chavez Park.
The special meeting of the Culture Commission is set for 3:30 p.m. Monday, March 23.
The meeting is planned to discuss and determine the next steps in reviewing whether to rename the park. The process will include a 30-day period where Modesto residents can submit name suggestions, a city Facebook post says.
Chavez, who died in 1993, is accused of raping and molesting two underage girls in the 1970s, as well as raping United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta while they were both active in farmworker unionization efforts.
Huerta had two children as a result of the rapes, according to a multi-year investigation by The New York Times.
The city also is working with the West Modesto Community Collaborative to hold a community town hall in District 2. Details for the town hall are still to come, according to the Facebook post.
“The City values the input and requests from residents to re-evaluate the name of Cesar E. Chavez Park. This is the largest park renovation in the City’s history. As we get closer to the completion of this project, collaboration is critical to capture the sentiment of our community and ensure the name of the park reflects the shared values of all residents,” the Facebook post says.
The park has undergone an extensive, $17.1 million renovation, which is planned to wrap up this summer, according to previous reporting in The Bee.
Monday’s meeting will be in the open community room at James Marshall Park, 440 Sutter Ave. in Modesto.
This story was originally published March 21, 2026 at 12:12 PM.
