University of Missouri assistant professor pleaded not guilty on the charge, misdemeanor assault against her. The charge was filed on Monday over her confrontation with a student journalist from a campus protests in November.
According to ABC News, Melissa Click's lawyer entered the plea for her in municipal court on Tuesday. Her arraignment was also waived and there will be another court trial set on the 16th of February. The charge was filed on Monday after the university assistant professor confronted a student photographer and a student videographer on November 9 during a campus protests.
Melissa Click works in communication department in Missouri and faces the charges of Class C misdemeanor simple assault over the incident. USA Today reported, the student were conducting interviews at the university quad set up by the students protesting the university leadership's indifference to racial issues.
Click was recorded having physical contact and berating a student journalist on the video, the office of Columbia prosecutor said. The student journalist, Mark Schierbecker recorded the video, posted it online amd went viral all over the internet.
The video begins with the protesters yelling and showed another student journalist who was pushed. At the end of video, Schierbecker approaches the assistant professor however, she called "some muscle" to remove him from the protest site. She was also shown grabbing the student journalist's camera.
According to Fox News, the 45 year old assistant professor could face a sentence of 15 days in jail if convicted over the charges filed against her by Steve Richey, the Columbia city prosecutor. Click made a public apology over her actions to Schierbecker as well as to the student journalists and the university community.
Earlier this month, Missouri Republican lawmakers signed on to letters calling to fire Click and another staff member captured in the video berating student journalists.
The university had repeatedly declined to comment on Click's actions following the November incident. Her colleagues also expressed their support for her in a letter saying that she has expressed remorse for her action and questions the motives of the lawmakers for pushing her ouster.
