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Prosecutors in Columbia, Mo., have filed a misdemeanor simple assault charge against University of Missouri assistant professor Melissa Click, The professor was filmed in November calling for "some muscle" to help her remove a student journalist from a protest side on campus.(Photo: AP)
A misdemeanor assault charge was filed<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Monday against a University of Missouri assistant professor who received nationwide attention when she called for "some muscle" to help remove a student journalist from a campus protest in November.
Melissa Click, who works<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in Missouri's communication department, faces a Class C misdemeanor simple assault charge for the incident, in which she was filmed having physical contact and berating a student journalist, according to the office of Columbia, Mo., prosecutor Steve Richey.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>The student<span style="color: Red;">*</span>was trying to conduct interviews at a site set up on the university's quad by students protesting the treatment of African Americans by administrators.
A<span style="color: Red;">*</span>video of the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>confrontation, which was taken by student<span style="color: Red;">*</span>journalist<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Mark Schierbecker and went viral on the Internet,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>begins with a group of protesters yelling and pushing<span style="color: Red;">*</span>another student<span style="color: Red;">*</span>journalist, Tim Tai, who was trying to photograph the campsite. At the end of the video, Schierbecker approaches Click, who calls for "some muscle" to remove him from the protest area. She then appears to grab at Schierbecker's camera.
Schierbecker filed a simple assault complaint with the campus police department days after the incident.
Richey's office confirmed that charge has been filed<span style="color: Red;">*</span>but declined further comment. If convicted, Click could face up to a $300 fine and 15 days in jail.
The incident occurred as the campus had been embroiled in weeks of protests over school administrators' handling of a series of a racially<span style="color: Red;">*</span>charged incidents on campus. Shortly before the confrontation, the state's university system president, Tim Wolfe, and Missouri chancellor R. Bowen Loft announced their resignations. Click was at the campsite to show her support for the student protesters.
Under fire,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Click resigned her courtesy appointment with the journalism school the day after the incident<span style="color: Red;">*</span>but<span style="color: Red;">*</span>remains<span style="color: Red;">*</span>an assistant professor in<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the university's Department of Communication.
Earlier this month, more than 100 Missouri Republican lawmakers signed on to letters calling for the firing<span style="color: Red;">*</span>of Click and another staff member captured in the video berating student journalists.
USA TODAY
GOP lawmakers call for firing of Mizzou professor who called for 'muscle'
"The fact that, as a professor teaching in the communication department and school of journalism, she displayed such a complete disregard for the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>First Amendment rights<span style="color: Red;">*</span>of reporters should be enough to question her competency and aptitude for her job," the lawmakers wrote. "It should be evident that these actions are inappropriate, illegal and unacceptable for a faculty member of the University of Missouri."
The lawmakers also attacked Click's research. According to a university biography, Click's research project delves into 50 Shades of Grey readers and the impact of social media in fans' relationship with Lady Gaga.
State Rep. Caleb Jones , who led the GOP petition calling for Click's ouster, praised Richey for filing the charge against the professor.
"While the University of Missouri seems to have no accountability for their professors and their actions, the Missouri criminal justice system does," Jones said. "I hope that justice gets served to the fullest extent of the law. "
More than 100 of Click's colleagues expressed support for her in a letter, noting that she has expressed remorse for her action and questioned<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the motives of the lawmakers pushing for her ouster.
"We believe that Click has been wronged in the media by those who have attacked her<span style="color: Red;">*</span>personally and have called for her dismissal," the faculty members wrote in the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>letter.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"We affirm our support of her as a colleague,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a teacher, and a scholar, and we call upon the University to defend her First Amendment<span style="color: Red;">*</span>rights of protest and her freedom to act as<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a private citizen."
A university spokesman and Click did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the charge.
Follow USA TODAY correspondent<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Aamer Madhani on Twitter:<span style="color: Red;">*</span>@AamerISmad
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