Missouri assistant professor of Communications Melissa Click has been fired from the university.
The University of Missouri Board of Curators voted 4-2 to terminate Click, who is most famous for yelling for “some muscle” to help her stop a student journalist cover a protest in November.
However, Click was involved in another incident in October. During a homecoming parade, she was caught on police body cameras joining protestors who were blocking a car driving the now-former University President Tim Wolfe and his wife, then yelling at police to “back up.” When an officer placed his hand on Click, she told him to “Get your f****ing hands off me.”
“The board believes that Dr. Click’s conduct was not compatible with university policies and did not meet expectations for a university faculty member,” said Pam Henrickson, chair of the University’s Board of Curators. “The circumstances surrounding Dr. Click’s behavior, both at a protest in October when she tried to interfere with police officers who were carrying out their duties, and at a rally in November, when she interfered with members of the media and students who were exercising their rights in a public space and called for intimidation against one of our students, we believe demands serious action.”
“The board respects Dr. Click’s right to express her views and does not base this decision on her support for students engaged in protest or their views,” said Henrickson. “However, Dr. Click was not entitled to interfere with the rights of others, to confront members of law enforcement or to encourage potential physical intimidation against a student.”