An assistant communications professor from the University of Missouri has officially been charged with misdemeanor assault on Monday, after calling for "some muscle" during a student protest in November.
45-year-old Melissa Click could face up to 15 days in jail if found guilty of misdemeanor assault. The charge, filed city prosecutor Steve Richey, was filed following Click's run in during a student rally, where she tried to instigate violence by calling for "muscle" to remove videographer Mark Schierbecker from the area.
The video of the incident went viral, prompting Schierbecker to file a complaint with the University of Missouri police.
The protests were laid out as a reaction following the resignation of the president of the University of Missouri and Columbia campus' chancellor, which were believed to be results of racial issues.
After getting online and nationwide backlash, Click released a statement saying that she regretted her behavior during the heat of the situation. The assistant professor then issued an apology to the affected videographer, and to all journalists. Click also extended her apologies to the university community, especially on how the controversy detracted the efforts laid out by students to improve racial relationships across campus.
"This is a very bad situation for us all," said Chancellor Hank Foley during a university news conference, as posted by Kansas City.com. Foley then apologized to the students who were involved and affected during the faculty's attempts to block media from filming the protests on November 9.
On Monday, the university's board of curators endorsed Click's termination after being unsatisfied by the letter of admonishment the school put for the professor's employment file on the matter.
"I'm willing to listen to the possibility of other job actions involving her as long as they're serious. The whole situation surrounding this has been stonewalling and an attempt to run out the clock by the university," said board member, David Steelman to Associated Press, as reported by CBS News.
