Officials at Pepperdine University are taking heat for their decision to shelter more than a thousand students on campus last week, even as the Woolsey fire swept across Malibu and prompted authorities to order an all-out evacuation of the city.
At a community meeting on Sunday, some residents complained that the university’s action caused firefighting resources to be diverted from other parts of the city to defend the school against flames. The angry claims have already triggered calls for a reassessment of the university’s decades-old policy and — in the eyes of some — have damaged the institution’s longstanding reputation for goodwill.
“Why were they allowed to stay there at all?” one woman asked pointedly during the meeting. “They should have been evacuated like everyone else.”
The school’s practice of herding students into fire-resistant structures dates back to 1993 and is supported by the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the university says.
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