The investigation was launched January 27, when the board suspended Click days after she was charged with assault in the incident.
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Mike Price wanted to be clear with lawmakers Wednesday: cutting assistant communications professor Melissa Click’s salary from Mizzou’s budget “would not be a enforceable hammer”.
In this November 9, 2015 frame from video provided by Mark Schierbecker, Melissa Click, right, an assistant professor in Missouri’s communications department, confronts Schierbecker and later calls for “muscle” to help remove him from the protest area in Columbia, Mo.
Click has been a lightning rod for anger against the university’s administration since video went around the internet of Click confronting journalists taking photographs and video of protestors on the Carnahan Quadrangle last November.
A statement from Henrickson said the firing was not based on her support for student protests, but did note that she had interfered with the rights of “members of the media” and other students at the protest site, and had cursed a police officer trying to move protesters at a Homecoming parade.
“The board believes that Dr Click’s conduct was not compatible with university policies and did not meet expectations for a university faculty member”, read a statement from the board.
Click, 45, who can appeal her firing, was not immediately available for comment.
Interim Chancellor Hank Foley said he agrees with the board that Click’s termination is in the best interest of the university.
During a conference call Thursday, the board’s president, Pam Henrickson, told reporters that Click was interviewed twice by investigators, at least once with an attorney. “I firmly believe she should have been terminated after the first video”.
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Concerned Student 1950 protested at the Board of Curators meeting February 4, where they listed reasons they stood with Click. The board went to significant lengths to ensure fairness and due process for Dr. Click. Work is already underway-with much more to come.
