A Cornell University senior had not planned to deliver her thesis in only her underwear, but after a remark from her professor, Letitia Chai responded by stripping off her clothes. Then she asked her classmates to join her in their underwear during her presentation last week.

Student and professor

Professor Rebekah Maggor questioned Chai about her attire that was a long-sleeve blue button-down shirt and denim short shorts. The professor simply asked Maggor if that was what she was going to wear during her presentation and if her mother would approve of it.

Chai clapped back by stating that her mom is a Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies professor whose job is to empower people. The senior concluded by saying she thinks her mother would have no problem with her presenting her thesis in short shorts.

Presentation in underwear

Chai was offended by the teacher's questions about her outfit. She protested by taking off her shirt and cut-offs. The Cornell senior was left standing in her underwear, and that's the way she presented her entire thesis in Professor Maggor's Acting in Public class. The 18-year-old student asked her classmates to join her by stripping off their outer clothes while they listened to her presentation.

After Chai told the mixed group of men and women to strip, 28 of the 44 people in the conference room in the physical sciences building removed their clothes.

The remainder of the students kept their clothes on.

Maggor explained to the school newspaper, The Cornell Daily Sun, that the university does not have a dress code and she does not tell her students what to wear. She does ask them to dress appropriately for the persona they will present.

Professor Maggor said she was not picking on Chai in any way.

She said in another session, she had asked a male student to remove his cap. Chai argued that the two cases were not the same.

During the discussion period following Chai's presentation, a male international student commented that a speaker has a moral obligation to the audience to dress conservatively.

Social media

Of course, everything is posted on social media these days. A photo of Chai delivering her thesis in her underwear was posted on Twitter and a video of the presentation is on YouTube.

The classmates believed Chai's reaction was not the best way to handle the situation. Even worse, she posted an account of what happened on Facebook.

This is one for the record books, but what do you think? Do you think the student was wrong to strip for her presentation?