The San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) Board of Trustees held a special meeting on April 6, 2026, during which they voted unanimously to temporarily revert the name of the César E. Chávez Campus in Barrio Logan to its original name, the College of Continuing Education Harborview Campus.
This decision is the latest in the ongoing fallout of the recent New York Times investigation detailing sexual abuse and assault allegations against the late labor leader, which includes accusations involving minors and his longtime colleague Dolores Huerta.
The district has launched a community-driven process to select a permanent replacement name. College officials expect to reach a final decision by the end of the Fall 2026 semester.
The bigger picture:
During the meeting, several commenters shared their thoughts in support of a name change and made suggestions for others worthy of the honor. Dr. Carmen Carrasquillo, faculty coordinator for the LEAD (Leading Equity, Anti-Racism and Diversity) Office at San Diego Miramar College, another SCDCCD institution , suggested the board consider naming the campus for Chávez’s longtime colleague and victim, Dolores Huertas.
“Such a move is in alignment with our district's values to invest in people,” said Carrasquillo, who is also a professor of English at the college who focuses on student voice and social justice in education. “One of SDCCD's stated values is to empower us all. The name change empowers us through an action that says, ‘We see you. We believe you. We support you.’ Women continue to fight for equity. As Huerta wrote, ‘Our silence ends here.’”
Carrasquillo also suggested that the institution use the moment as a learning opportunity, rather than simply an administrative action. “Display on the campus the telling of this history. Educate everyone about the history of the name change and the values that we stand for,” she said.
Though no decisions have been made regarding a future name, this situation highlights a growing expectation for restorative justice within college leadership. As Carrasquillo suggested, the value of the name change is maximized when it is treated as a pedagogical tool rather than a public relations fix. This will necessitate an infrastructure for difficult conversations, but by integrating the history of the name change — and the reasons for it — directly into the campus environment, SDCCD has an opportunity to model how colleges can navigate the complexities of human fallibility and move the conversation from who we honor to how we honor. This shift allows the movement for equity to be framed as larger than any single individual, emphasizing that institutional integrity requires the courage to pivot when new truths emerge.
This is exactly the sentiment SDCCD Chancellor Gregory Smith captured in a March 18 email to all district employees in the immediate fallout of the Chávez news. “For all of us engaged in advancing equity in education, labor advocacy, immigration justice, and basic needs security, your work matters now more than ever,” Smith wrote. “We ask you to remain committed to it. Honor the movement by continuing it and by building it in a way that does not replicate the abuses of power that have caused so much harm.”
