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In 2003, the Denver school board named a district holiday after civil rights leader César Chávez.
On Wednesday, a New York Times investigation alleged that Chávez abused women and girls. On Thursday, board members said they may discuss what to do about the district holiday.
Member Marlene De La Rosa said the board received an email from former board member James Mejía about the holiday. News stories from 2003 say Mejía led the charge for Denver Public Schools to honor Chávez with a holiday starting in 2005.
Concerns about the cost of an additional holiday led the board in 2003 to choose the last Monday in March because it coincides with the district’s spring break, the news stories say.
De La Rosa said the current board needs to research how the holiday was created. She suggested the board discuss it at its April meeting.
“I believe that would be an opportunity to share with everybody exactly what the board did at that time and if we desire to modify that,” De La Rosa said.
Board President Xóchitl Gaytán asked De La Rosa to email her with a formal request to add the discussion to the April agenda.
Denver Public Schools’ spring break is set for March 30 through April 3. The district’s official calendar notes that March 31 is César Chávez Day. President Barack Obama designated March 31 a federal holiday named for Chávez in 2014.
Mejía did not respond to a request for comment.
Denver city leaders said on Thursday that they will rename the city’s late March holiday from César Chávez Day to Sí Se Puede Day. The city will also rename a park that bears Chávez’s name and take down a bust of the civil rights leader.
Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.
