The late Cesar Chavez, one of the nation’s most prominent civil rights leaders, has been accused of sexually abusing girls and women.

Civil rights icon Dolores Huerta said in a statement that Chavez, her co-founder of what became the United Farm Workers, manipulated and pressured her into sex once and, in a second encounter, forced her “against my will” to have sex.

“The first time I was manipulated and pressured into having sex with him, and I didn’t feel I could say no because he was someone that I admired, my boss and the leader of the movement I had already devoted years of my life to,” Huerta said in a statement published online. “The second time I was forced, against my will, and in an environment where I felt trapped.”

Huerta first revealed her allegations of the sexual assault to the New York Times, which published an investigation Wednesday of allegations by her and two other women, who said they were 12 and 13 when Chavez first sexually molested them.

The newspaper said it relied on interviews with more than 60 people, including former top aides, relatives and former members of the United Farm Workers. It also combed union records, confidential emails, photographs and recordings of U.F.W. board meetings.

Chavez, who was Mexican American, is one of the most celebrated and recognized Latinos in modern U.S. history and an inspiration to generations who credit his work with inspiring their own activism and causes. He died in 1993.

The news is expected to generate profound reverberations in the Mexican American and Latino communities, and many consider Chavez to be a civil rights hero. He has been honored at the highest levels of government, many streets are named for him, and he is a symbol of the longtime struggle for equality for Mexican Americans, the largest Latino group in the U.S., as well as for farmworkers.

“Our family is shocked and saddened to learn of news that our father, Cesar Chavez, engaged in sexual impropriety with women and minors nearly 50 years ago,” a statement from the Chavez family said. “As a family steeped in the values of equity and justice, we honor the voices of those who feel unheard and who report sexual abuse. This is deeply painful to our family. We hope these matters are approached thoughtfully and fairly. “

The family asked for privacy and understanding. “We will process and be responsive to the experiences of others as we hold cherished memories of our father. We hope that these conversations are approached with care, fairness, and compassion for everyone involved,” it said.

Delia Garcia, a former Kansas state labor secretary who said she has been mentored by Huerta for 26 years, broke down in tears when reached by NBC News Wednesday for comment. In a followup call, she said her family has pictures of Chavez and Huerta throughout their home. Chavez’s photos will be coming down, she said.

She said she “stands with Dolores” and the other survivors of Chavez’s alleged abuse, whom she said she does not know.

“This is another reason why we can’t let people suffer in silence, whether it’s farm workers or survivors of abuse,” she said.

Huerta said she was a young mother in the 1960s at the time of Chavez’s sexual assault.

Now 96, Huerta said in her statement that she kept it “a secret” because “I believed exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement I have spent my entire life fighting for.

The Times reported it could not corroborate Huerta’s allegations.

Huerta’s statement comes a day after several communities canceled Cesar Chavez Day activities in anticipation of the allegations becoming widely public.

Civil rights marches regularly take place on March 31, which President Barack Obama in 2014 designated as Cesar Chavez Day and falls on Chavez’s birthday. In California, it is recognized as a state holiday.

The Cesar Chavez Foundation said in a statement Tuesday it had become aware of “very troubling allegations.” The UFW warned that “very young women or girls may have been victimized.”

Huerta said both sexual encounters led to pregnancies, which she kept secret. Two children were born and Huerta arranged for them to be raised by other families “who could give them stable lives,” she stated.

“The knowledge that he hurt young girls sickens me. My heart aches for everyone who suffered alone and in silence for years,” Huerta said.

Huerta did not respond to NBC News’ requests for comment. Her spokesperson provided the statement.