Chapman University and the City of Orange are at odds on the eve of the end of semester, decades old Undie Run. Undie Runs are not unique to Chapman University; many colleges have them as a way for students to unwind after final exams. In the case of Chapman, students typically run late at night from the University arch at Glassell Street and Sycamore Avenue, south on Glassell and into and around the Orange Plaza, then back to the arch where the event ends.
Dr. Jerry Price, Chapman’s beloved and retiring Dean of Students, put out a notice to students several days ago stating:
“Good evening. You will recall that last December we were informed that the Orange Police Department would no longer be blocking off Glassell Street and the Plaza Circle as usual to accommodate the Undie Run and would provide fewer officers on the scene than in previous years to assist.
Those students who did participate were running on or near the street and Circle while normal vehicle traffic was flowing, which was very unsafe and unlawful. While we are grateful no one was hurt, the sight of cars having to maneuver around students in the street was alarming. The experience reinforced our belief that participating in the Undie Run under these circumstances was too unsafe.Unfortunately, we have confirmed that Orange Police will be taking the same approach again this semester, including having fewer officers available to assist should anything happen. Students who participate in the Undie Run now will be accepting both the physical and legal risks for doing so. We do not believe these risks are worth taking and again STRONGLY URGE YOU NOT TO PARTICIPATE.”
District 1 Council member Ariana Barrios, whose district includes Chapman University, commented, “Sadly, the University has placed the City in an impossible position. For years, we have begged leadership to either take full responsibility for THEIR students who participate in the event or take the appropriate steps to end it or move it on campus. They have a duty of care for these young people as well as to the community that has welcomed them.
The City simply cannot support an event with such obvious liability without a full partnership on the other side. Our taxpayers should not be on the hook for problems that are likely to occur when half-dressed, exuberant young people go running down our City streets.
Can you imagine our residents and businesses having to pay a multi-million-dollar settlement if a student is injured or assaulted? That is simply not a chance I’m willing to take on behalf of either the students or the City.Each and every one of the amazing, community-centric nonprofits and community groups who conduct events in the City is mandated to get a permit, pay for security, and provide insurance coverage that releases the City from liability.
It is simply unacceptable for this event not to be held to the same standard, putting our City at risk.”
During the Undie Run at the end of last semester, held December 11, 2025, Chapman University Public Safety Officers blocked off Glassell to all traffic between Walnut and Palm during the event but left the rest of Glassell and the Circle unprotected. As students entered the Circle, they were met head-on by traffic, including a man in a pickup truck who was visibly angry and attempted to force his way through the students. The University’s Public Safety Officers are a private security force and have no legislative authority to block a public roadway. This act alone would seem to have attached civil liability to Chapman University, according to legal experts.
According to the City of Orange, the solution to holding the Undie Run in a safe and legal manner is for the University to get an event permit and provide liability insurance. These are standard requirements for all events held in the city.
The City of Orange issued the following statement regarding the event:
“For the past five years, CU has funded OPD overtime staffing associated with the Undie Run. Historically, this involved approximately 40 officers to manage street closures, crowd control, and skirmish lines necessary to move students safely back onto campus. Staffing was primarily filled through voluntary overtime sign-ups, with detectives adjusting schedules and working overtime between approximately 11:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m.
Beginning in December 2024, obtaining voluntary OPD OT staffing became increasingly difficult. Many officers live significant distances away, and a short overtime shift was no longer sufficient incentive to bring personnel in. In addition, modifying detective schedules created operational conflicts related to court appearances, interviews, investigations, and follow-up responsibilities. These concerns were communicated directly to CU.
By May 2025, staffing challenges had intensified to the point that Patrol deployment resources had to be used to fill gaps. Internally, concerns were also raised by both COPA representatives and employees regarding morale, the repeated diversion of resources to an unsanctioned event, and the sustainability of continuing this operational model. There was significant concern that staffing the December 2025 event, particularly if held on a Wednesday, would not be feasible under the existing approach.
While CU publicly maintains that the event is not sanctioned, the University has historically paid tens of thousands of dollars annually for fencing and police staffing associated with the event.
In June 2025, Chief Jevec met with CU representatives and clearly communicated the City’s concerns regarding staffing, operational impacts, morale, and sustainability. He also suggested moving the event to a Thursday, which officers indicated would significantly improve staffing feasibility.
Despite multiple outreach efforts seeking collaboration and feedback, CU was largely unresponsive.
On December 1, the City was informed by Jerry Price’s office that the event would occur on Wednesday, December 10, and that the date could not be changed.
At that point, the City advised CU that the City would no longer provide the historical level of dedicated staffing and street closure operations for the event.
If this were a City-sponsored or City-approved special event, staffing would be mandated and operational deployment would not be an issue. However, this is not a City event. The City should not continue indefinitely absorbing the operational burden of an unsanctioned university-related gathering occurring adjacent to campus.
Our position has been consistent: CU should either formally organize and permit the event, including assuming responsibility for associated street closures and infrastructure, or the City will treat the gathering similarly to any other unpermitted assembly or protest activity.
OPD will appropriately upstaff in anticipation of the gathering, as we would for any known large crowd event, and we remain fully capable of maintaining public safety.
However, the longstanding practice of dedicating approximately 40 officers solely to facilitate and manage this recurring unsanctioned event is not sustainable and is no longer an appropriate use of City resources.”
One city official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated, “While Chapman University generally maintains a good and beneficial relationship with the city and its residents, this situation demands a solution before someone gets hurt. Chapman would also benefit greatly by replacing its V.P. of Community Relations with someone able to work more cooperatively with the city and its nonprofit organizations.”
