School Named After Chavez, Despite Penalty
The school board voted 3 to 2 to name a new high school after Cesar Chavez--even though it may have to pay a $100,000 penalty because not everyone in this farming town agrees with the decision.
When the school district bought the 55-acre site from grape grower Walter “Bud” Gamboni, he made the board liable for $100,000 in damages if it gave the school any name that causes “extreme embarrassment and emotional stress.”
Chavez led United Farm Worker actions against grape growers in the 1960s and ‘70s.
Delano schools Supt. Sherrill Hufnagel said the damages will come from interest on bonds and state construction money.
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