This wouldn't have merited making a thread, except for what Reason said about it.
Robby Soave wrote:The student was attempting to strike a blow against the patriarchy, repudiating her media arts professor's advice to dress up for the presentation. Yet I can't help but wonder: On what planet is this not a violation of Title IX, the federal anti-harassment statute that so many college administrators cite when cracking down on problematic, sexually charged behavior?
As a libertarian myself, I do not believe that nudity is inherently harassing, much less clothing that would be acceptable on any beach in the US. (Sidenote: New York State allows topless equality, which means she could have presented topless and it still wouldn't have counted as "indecent" under state law.)
Now, the act of stripping could constitute harassment, depending on how it's done, but she left the room to undress, presumably for just that reason. And the original article says that she told the audience to strip, which in context I'd take as a rhetorical point, but if a professor had done that I'd say it would have constituted harassment. But Reason seems to be buying into the whole SJW "if you make me uncomfortable, it's your fault" attitude with their reaction.
I think her point is kind of stupid, for all that I sympathize. You shouldn't have to dress to impress, but unfortunately you do, and the professor was trying to point out that jean shorts aren't really appropriate in any setting except completely casual. And she herself, in reacting as if she was personally attracted, was overreacting. Still, I think that if a student wants to present in underwear, it may violate some school policy, but in no reasonable world does it constitute harassment.