Eugene School District 4J leaders will likely decide Wednesday evening whether to move forward with the renaming process for César Chávez Elementary School.
Chávez, who died in 1993, led the cause for better pay and treatment for farmworkers. The Eugene elementary is one of many schools and streets throughout Oregon and the country named in his honor. It was named after the late activist in 2004.
But a five-year investigation by The New York Times published in March revealed allegations that Chávez assaulted and raped women and children. This reexamination of the activist’s legacy has led education leaders nationwide to grapple with the name on their buildings.
In April, the 4J school board voted unanimously to create a more structured engagement process to gather more input, particularly from teachers at the school, and to conduct a formal review of its renaming policies.
Since then, the board has adopted a new renaming policy and collected survey responses from 89 participants, including current and former parents and guardians, school staff and neighbors.
Of the respondents, 67% said to move forward with the renaming process; 10% said to keep the name; and 23% said they were unsure or needed more information.
District officials recommended to the board this week that it initiate the formal renaming process.
This process would include convening an advisory committee, developing a community engagement and communication plan, establishing strict naming criteria, conducting listening sessions and giving the final recommended options to the board during the 2026-27 school year.
District officials recommended avoiding honoring individuals altogether to prevent future controversy, while still seeking ways to honor the area’s Latino and Indigenous communities and history.
The school board meeting is on Wednesday, June 17, at 6 p.m. Meetings are held at the 4J Education Center, 200 North Monroe St. in Eugene, and online via Zoom. The agenda and meeting materials are available here.
