A five-year investigation by New York Times reporters has examined allegations that civil rights leader Cesar Chavez sexually abused girls and women within the United Farm Workers movement he founded and led.

Reporters Manny Fernandez and Sarah Hurtes conducted the investigation, which focused on alleged abuse at various levels of the UFW organization. The investigation represents one of the first major journalistic examinations of such allegations against the labor leader.

Chavez, who died in 1993, co-founded the United Farm Workers union in the 1960s and became a prominent figure in the American civil rights movement. He led efforts to improve working conditions and wages for agricultural workers, primarily in California, and became known for his use of nonviolent tactics including hunger strikes and boycotts.

The UFW grew into one of the most influential labor organizations representing farmworkers, with Chavez serving as its president until his death. The union advocated for better wages, health benefits, and safer working conditions for agricultural laborers, many of whom were Latino immigrants.

The investigation comes amid broader reconsiderations of prominent historical figures and allegations of misconduct. The full scope and details of the allegations, as well as any response from the UFW or Chavez family, were not detailed in the available reporting summary.