Cornell student took off her clothes during her thesis presentation after her professor commented that her shorts were too short. Some students supported the professor saying that it wasn’t a matter of the shorts being inappropriate due to length, but rather that wearing the denim shorts was unprofessional. Letitia Chai said she felt that she was being forced to change her appearance to make others feel comfortable. During her thesis she asked others to join her as she stripped her clothing to reveal that she was simply another person of the human race and will not tolerate acts of hatred against her. Many students also took off items of clothing to join her in protest. The professor later stated that she does not ” tell students what to wear, nor define for them what appropriate attire is”.
Would this same comment be made if a male student wore the same button up and denim shorts? Do you think that the length of her shorts was an issue because people would “find it distracting”? Is this a matter of professionalism or a true discriminatory judgement based on the professor’s comment?