University Of Missouri Professor Melissa Click Fired

University of Missouri assistant professor Melissa Click has been fired. The controversial staffer made national headlines after a viral video was released showing her trying to oust a student journalist from a Black Lives Matter protest on campus.

Melissa Click yelled “I need some muscle over here” when the University of Missouri student journalist refused to leave the protest. The student told the professor he was exercising his First Amendment rights and would stay and cover the Black Lives Matter protests despite her objections, the New York Times reports.

Melissa Click, professor filmed filmed asking for “some muscle over here,” has been fired https://t.co/VnQqXY4RQ7 pic.twitter.com/41NKmzCNfI

— CNN (@CNN) February 25, 2016

In a closed door session of the University of Missouri Board of Curators, the governing body voted 4 to 2 in favor of firing Melissa Click, the Columbia Tribune reports. Board chair Pam Henrickson and member John Phillips voted against terminating the assistant professor. Board members who voter to fire Click include Maurice Graham, Donald Cupps, Phil Snowden, and Steelman.

Melissa Click has so far declined to comment on her termination from the University of Missouri when contacted by the press. Before the firing, the MIZOU board had voted to suspend Click with pay over the free speech incident at the Black Lives Matter protest.

“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,” a release from the university board read. “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.”

The statement from the board about the Melissa Click firing also referenced the incident at the University of Missouri homecoming parade where the cursed a police officer attempting to get protesters out of the street so the event could safely continue.

Here’s an excerpt from the MIZOU release referencing the altercation with the student journalist.

“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. She has the right to appeal her termination. The board went to significant lengths to ensure fairness and due process.”

The University of Missouri board hired investigators to review videos, documents and to conduct more than 20 interviews, before the vote to fire Melissa Click took place.

University of Missouri Professor Melissa Click Saying To Police Officer “Get your f**k**g hands off me!”

Melissa Click has also reportedly become a political liability for the University of Missouri. State lawmakers appear to be using the power of the purse to force the university to remedy some on-campus issues. The house budget committee is set to vote next week on a spending bill, which will cut $402,000 from the campus budget. The figure is the amount of Click’s salary, and the salary of her department chair, and the dean of the college of art and science. The bill would also slash $7.6 million form the university’s administrative budget.

Missouri State Representative Chuck Basye recently told a group of local leaders that Melisa Click is a lightning rod on the campus that is hurting the reputation of the school.

“Everybody that I talked to said it [firing Click] would be a step in the right direction and would show some leadership. I firmly believe she should have been terminated after the first video,” Representative Basye said.

Representative Caleb Rowden appears to agree with his fellow Republican. Rowden said that firing the assistant professor is a “flashpoint,” which should allow the school to move forward and have constructive dialogue about issues facing the campus community.

University of Missouri to lose MILLIONS for supporting Black Lives Matter https://t.co/H36gOp1kq2 via @

— Darrell B. Harrison (@D_B_Harrison) December 17, 2015

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[Image via Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images]