As officials in three Utah cities weigh removing labor leader Cesar Chavez’s name from street signs in light of new sexual abuse allegations, the head of one of Utah’s oldest Latino cultural organizations is more decisive.

“If the allegations are true, I agree that his name should come down,” said Brandy Farmer, president and CEO of Centro Civico Mexicano.

“We cannot make someone a hero when they have violated someone, especially children,” said Farmer, who is a longtime women’s advocate and the former director of domestic violence programs for the Utah attorney general’s office.

The New York Times on Wednesday published an investigation detailing accusations from two women who say Chavez — the co-founder of United Farm Workers — sexually assaulted them when they were teens in the early 1970s. Chavez, who died in 1993, was in his 40s at the time.

Also on Wednesday, activist Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers with Chavez, released a statement in which she alleged Chavez forced her to have sex with him twice in the 1960s.

“Following the New York Times’ multi-year investigation into sexual misconduct by Cesar Chavez,” she wrote, “I can no longer stay silent and must share my own experiences.”

Officials in Salt Lake City issued a statement Wednesday evening noting the city “is aware of recent reports” about Chavez “and recognizes the gravity of the concerns being raised.”

“Any type of violence contradicts the values of our city,” the statement read, “and we stand with survivors of sexual assault while respecting their voices.”

The statement also urged victims of sexual abuse to contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline — 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) — for free, confidential help.

More than 20 years ago, in 2002, the Salt Lake City Council voted to name part of 500 South after Chavez. One advocate at the time called it “an acknowledgement of the importance and growth of the Latino community in Salt Lake City as much as it is an honor” for Chavez.

Farmer said Thursday that naming the street for Chavez gave “a sense of pride for the Hispanic community for years — that people have done good works and they’re being recognized.”

In a 2022 proclamation, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall praised “the lifetime of activism that Cesar devoted to his fellow citizen, and the world of change that he created while he was alive.” Mendenhall proclaimed March 31, Chavez’s birthday, as “Cesar Chavez Day” in the city in 2022 and 2023.

In 2013, West Valley City gave the ceremonial name of Cesar Chavez Drive to a part of 2320 South, between Redwood Road and the Jordan River. Sam Johnson, a spokesperson for West Valley City, said Thursday that officials “have not had a chance to review” a possible name change.

In 2018, the city of Ogden put Chavez’ name on 30th Street between Monroe and Harrison boulevards. On Thursday, Mike McBride, spokesperson for Ogden City, said “this is new to us … and will require some time to work through the decision.”

Officials in other states quickly announced plans to remove Chavez’s name from place names and holidays.

Leaders in the California Legislature announced Thursday they will push a bill to rename a state holiday, Cesar Chavez Day on March 31, to “Farmworkers Day.” The mayor of Sacramento said efforts were underway to remove Chavez’s name from the plaza across the street from California’s state capitol.

Governors in Texas and Arizona also have announced efforts to cancel state observances of Cesar Chavez Day, The New York Times reported. In Dallas, The Times reported, city council members are looking to rename the holiday in honor of Dolores Huerta, and move the date to her birthday, April 10.

Farmer said she supported the idea of putting Huerta’s name in place of Chavez’s wherever it appears. “I love that,” she said.

“There’s nothing that can be done about [Chavez] now, because he’s passed away,” Farmer said. “For the victims, justice is the fact that they need to be believed.”