Don Villarejo (January 17, 1937 – November 19, 2021) was an American researcher, writer, and leader in the struggle for civil rights and social justice from 1955 until his death in 2021.
[9] CAAP was best known as the lead plaintiff in civil litigation filed by the California Rural Legal Assistance suing the University of California, its Cooperative Extension Service, some officials, and its Board of Regents, with conflicts of interest and failure to comply with Federal laws requiring land grant universities to serve farmworkers, small-scale family farmers, organic farmers and the rural poor.
[12] CIRS is a private, non-profit research and education organization dedicated to helping create a rural California that is socially just, economically viable and ecologically balanced.
[13] During his 22-year tenure at CIRS, Villarejo conducted original research into key issues impacting rural communities including land ownership,[14] water policy,[15] and farm worker jobs[16] and their health.
[18] Publication of the findings resulted in a new $50 million initiative by The California Endowment to support expanded health services for farm laborers in the state.
[19] Recognition of Villarejo's depth of knowledge led to appointments to several expert panels commissioned to evaluate Federal programs.
John Howard, M.D., NIOSH Director, flew to California for the specific purpose of recognizing Villarejo in a special lecture.