The University of Missouri has suspended the assistant professor caught on film calling for “some muscle” to help remove a student reporter from a November protest on campus.
Mizzou’ Board of Curators announced the suspension of communications professor Melissa Click’s on Wednesday, after the city prosecutor charged Click with misdemeanor assault on Jan. 25.
Mark Schierbecker, who filmed the incident and whose camera Click grabbed, told the Washington Post the suspension was “vindicating,” but he felt frustrated that the university did not act more quickly or seriously. State legislators had previously called for Click’s termination.
“The university seems to care more about protecting their own despotic faculty than looking after the welfare of its students,” Schierbecker said to the Post.
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Write to Julia Zorthian at julia.zorthian@time.com