A Park District mural featuring César Chavez has been painted over as pressure grows to remove memorials and rename public buildings honoring the late Latino civil rights figure.This comes after a New York Times investigation published Wednesday found that Chavez groomed and sexually assaulted youn g girls, as well as fellow activist Dolores Huerta, when he led the United Farm Workers in the 1960s and ‘70s.Chavez, who died in 1993, has long been lionized in Chicago’s Latino and labor strongholds. The Latino icon is honored with a school named for him in Back of the Yards, a plaque at the Haymarket Memorial in the West Loop, a post office in Pilsen, and several murals across the city. The mural “Libertad” originally featured César Chavez (left) among other historic figures along a wall that lines Barrett Park located at 2022 West Cermak Road, in the Pilsen neighborhood, Monday, Dec. 19, 2022. Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times One of those murals, titled “Libertad” – “Freedom” in Spanish – is located on a long wall in Pilsen’s Barrett Park, 2022 W Cermak Rd. It was originally painted in 2008 and restored in 2023 by artist Ruth Garcia.On Friday a Sun-Times reporter observed fresh green paint covering a part of the mural where Chavez’s face had previously been before. Other historical figures on the mural including Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. remained visible.A Park District spokesperson confirmed that they had removed Chavez from the mural, saying in a statement: “The Chicago Park District takes recent allegations of misconduct by Cesar Chavez seriously … and are conducting a district-wide review of any other park features that may honor him. Where appropriate, we will take further action consistent with our values and standards.”Garcia could not be immediately reached for comment. Paint covers what had been Cesar Chavez’s face on a mural depicting civil rights figures that can be seen on an exterior wall of Barrett Park in the Pilsen neighborhood, Friday, March 20, 2026.Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times Less than a mile away, inside the Cesar Chavez Post Office, 1859 S Ashland Ave, a large picture of Chavez on a postage stamp adorns the wall above a plaque installed in 2003. But on Friday, the future of that memorial was also in doubt, as Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García released the following statement:“Considering the horrifying allegations that have come to light, my team and I are beginning the legislative process to rename the César Chavez Post Office in my district. We cannot continue honoring his name, out of respect for those he has harmed, including of course, Dolores Huerta, who I consider my friend.” Inside the Cesar Chavez Post Office, 1859 S Ashland Ave, in Pilsen a large picture of Chavez on a postage stamp adorns the wall a nearby plaque installed in 2003.Somer Van Benton/WBEZ A few blocks to the west, outside the National Museum of Mexican Art, which has previously featured artifacts from Chavez’s life, Myah Goff, 24, of Cicero said she was surprised to see part of an exhibition off-limits on Friday afternoon.“A security guard was telling us ‘due to what happened with the latest news about César Chavez, we just closed that part of the gallery,’” Goff said.“She was telling us that they're gonna just close it out and change it to something new,” Goff added. A spokesperson for the museum could not immediately be reached for comment. Myah Goff, 24, stands outside the National Mexican Museum of Art, 1852 W 19th St, in the Pilsen neighborhood on Friday, March 20, 2026.Somer Van Benton/WBEZ Goff is glad people are standing up for the survivors, and said this should be a moment to reconsider Chavez’s legacy.“For a long time, we had such a positive impression,” Goff said, but “I think we should all just be more cautious of the people that we look up to as our idols.”Meanwhile, leaders at a Chicago public school named after Chavez have started a process that could change the school’s name.Chicago Public Schools officials say leaders at César E. Chávez Multicultural Academic Center in the Back of the Yards neighborhood have begun getting community feedback. Any recommendation would have to go to the Local School Council and ultimately the school board. Cesar E. Chavez Multicultural Academic Center located at 4747 S. Marshfield Ave. in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, Friday, March 20, 2026.Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times At school pick-up on Friday, near two murals depicting Chavez, parent Lourdes Flores expressed dismay at the accusations against him. “I mean, he was a great leader. But yeah, it was shocking to me,” she said.Flores, 31, who has a seven year-old son at the school, is open to a name change. But “I feel like that's something … we should all as a community, discuss,” she said.Flores then added, “Check the background of who you want to name the school after, just, you know, in case something like this were to happen [again].” A mural of Cesar Chavez can be seen an exterior wall of Cesar E. Chavez Multicultural Academic Center located at 4747 S. Marshfield Ave. in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, Friday, March 20, 2026.Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times Kate Grossman and Derek John contributing. ...read more read less