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Torts/Personal Injury

Sep. 11, 2026

Revival law opens path for decades-old Cesar Chavez assault claim

A new California law allows an 86-year-old former farmworker movement volunteer to pursue claims stemming from an alleged 1973 rape, but attorneys say she still faces the challenge of proving what the defendant organizations knew and whether they concealed earlier allegations.

Revival law opens path for decades-old Cesar Chavez assault claim
V. James DeSimone

A new California law reopening the courthouse to decades-old sexual assault claims is giving an 86-year-old former farmworker movement volunteer a chance to pursue allegations stemming from an alleged 1973 rape by Cesar Chavez.

The lawsuit relies on Assembly Bill 250, which opened a two-year window through Dec. 31, 2027, for certain otherwise time-barred adult sexual assault claims. To revive claims against an entity, a plaintiff must allege sexual assault, a legal basis for holdi...

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