Letitia Chai, a student at Cornell University was questioned by her professor during her honor thesis presentation about the length of her shorts. Her professor, a woman mind you, was questioning what the male gaze was going to distract from the content of her thesis. She posted on Facebook saying:
"The first thing that the professor said to me was “is that really what you would wear?”
She, a white woman, continued: “Your shorts are too short”.
The professor proceeded to tell me, in front of my whole class, that I was inviting the male gaze away from the content of my presentation and onto my body.
She said I was making a statement by wearing my outfit. I told her that I sure as hell wouldn’t change my statement to make her or anyone else feel more comfortable."
The professor Rebekah Maggor then stated to the school news paper
"I do not tell my students what to wear, nor do I define for them what constitutes appropriate dress.
I ask them to reflect for themselves and make their own decisions."
The students questioned after the thesis stated that The professor then apologized during the entire presentation as well that she did not try to tell the students what to wear, but to be thoughtful of professionalism during their presentations and in life in professional situations.