While the annual Naked Quad Run (NQR) is usually a somewhat chaotic evening, this year's event was particularly hectic when the university chose to end the event early. Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) officers got into altercations with certain students who allegedly resisted arrest and acted in a disorderly manner.
The university's decision to cut off the event at 10 p.m. — the usual starting time for the event — was intended to ensure student safety and prevent the typically rowdy event from becoming excessively unruly. Despite its good intentions, however, TUPD's handling of the situation did not help to achieve this goal and instead caused unnecessary problems.
The university opted to end the event early because officials said that in previous years the event tended to become increasingly dangerous after the first hour, and many students had already begun running by around 9 p.m. Yet there was no system in place for TUPD to inform students that the event was ending early, and many students turned up for the event shortly after 10 p.m., unaware that they were no longer permitted to run. This lack of organization and warning allowed for confusion and disorder to ensue, as a small number of TUPD officers were attempting to reign in a large group of students.
The nature of the event calls for a higher level of sensitivity from officers, particularly when dealing with physically restraining students. Whereas physical restraint from an officer may be considered acceptable when a student is clothed, the fact that many of the students were naked when the officers handled them created an understandable uproar.
It is difficult to say whether students or officers were at fault during the altercations and alleged assaults that took place. If students did indeed attack the officers who were attempting to end the event, then they should be adequately punished. But even if students were apparently ignoring demands from officers — either because they did not hear the demands or because they chose to continue running anyway — officers should not have placed their hands on naked students unless it was absolutely necessary.
Some have expressed outrage that the administration has defended TUPD's actions and not shown more sympathy for the students who were involved in the incidents of violence and arrest during the event. While the university had students' best interests in mind when choosing to end the event early and clear the course, the manner in which this early shutdown was handled created an atmosphere of confusion that was inevitably going to lead to chaos, especially because — as the administration is well aware — students who are participating in the run tend to be intoxicated.
In the future, if the university wants to end NQR early or change the details of the event, there must be a better system in place to inform students that this is going to occur. University officials have the right to end the event early if they believe it is in the best interest of students, but if students are not aware that this is occurring, their disobedience is unintentional and they should not be punished, especially with violence and other physical means.
