The Click Affair

Remember Melissa Click? She was the University of Missouri professor seen bullying a student photographer at a protest in a video taken by another student. (It's possible the photographer and videographer were "baiting" the protesters hoping for just such an incriminating confrontation, but the fact remains that they had the right to make photographs in that situation.)

Here's what I said about her in that post:

...a more serious issue is the woman seen at the end of the video...she is Melissa Click, an Assistant Professor of Mass Media in the Communication Department at the University of Missouri. She's clearly seen assaulting the videographer (her blow jolts the camera) and then inciting violence against his person, asking for "muscle" to help her "get this reporter out of here." (Keep in mind the "reporter" is a student.)

Is this appropriate behavior for a University faculty member? Even when acting out some fantasy of being a neo-1960s lawn-chair revolutionary, or whatever she thinks she's doing? Doesn't seem that way to a lot of people. The video of her unfortunate behavior went viral, and has created considerable backlash against her.

This morning she was fired from the University of Missouri for her actions on that occasion, and for her actions at an earlier protest. In a "Statement from University of Missouri leadership," Pam Henrickson, chair of the University of Missouri Board of Curators, said, in part:

After reviewing the report and Dr. Click’s response, and, after extensive discussion, the board voted last night in executive session to terminate the employment of Dr. Click. She has the right to appeal her termination. The board went to significant lengths to ensure fairness and due process for Dr. Click.

The board believes that Dr. Click’s conduct was not compatible with university policies and did not meet expectations for a university faculty member. 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.  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.

Mike
(Thanks to Mike Plews)

Original contents copyright 2016 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Doug Thacker: "It's kind of delicious that this case centers around student photojournalism rights, and the perpetration of abuse against a student photojournalist, and that the perpetrating, professing doctor's name is Click. That's the sort of detail a writer like Vladimir Nabokov would add, and that a reader like me might both enjoy and think slightly contrived. But I digress before I've begun. (Always better to digress afterwards.)

"After reading several articles about the event, I watched the student photojournalist's video of it, both the short version and the unedited one. Each time I did I could feel the hair rising on the back of my neck and my blood pressure moving likewise.

"I can't quite convey what my immediate impulse was, probably because the language to do so would not be appropriate to your blog. And having not been there it's difficult to say for sure that I have a complete grasp of the situation. (I hate to be herded into an internet pile-on, only to find out later I was missing vital information.)

"But, honestly, it's hard to see how this so-called professor has a leg to stand on. Doing exactly the opposite of what any thinking person, never mind a university professor, should be doing. Where is the commitment to liberty, to free speech, to freedom of the press and the fourth estate? What was she teaching, Totalitarianism 101? Talk about setting a bad example. When next she appears it will be as media liaison for the NSA.

"The great thing about this, though, and perhaps the most surprising, is that the university fired her. From what I can tell she certainly had it coming. Sayonara, Dr. Click."

Mike replies: Yes, many people might not realize how difficult it is for a teacher or professor to be fired. The nail in Dr. Click's coffin might have been that in defending herself, she claimed she had never been involved in "altercations" before in her 12 years at the University—and then another video surfaced of her, at a different protest, getting in a cop's face and shrieking "get your f---ing hands off me." So that both indicated a pattern, and also undercut her credibility in her own defense of herself.

As for the "Internet pile on," the awkwardness for me is that I'm not reporting on, or analyzing, the entire larger situation. I'm just concerned with a small "kernal" inside the larger situation, which is that the student photojournalist was claiming he had a right to take pictures on the public Quad of a public protest, which he did, and he was being bullied, and was standing up for his rights. It's never hard to stand up for your rights when everyone accepts them. But it recent years (since Diana's death and especially since 9/11) photographers have been increasingly persecuted, and I think we need to continue to assert our rights, or we will lose them.

Comments

[John Gillooly]

Great news! What comes around goes around. Hopefully she doesn't end up at UMass where she started!

[Roger Bradbury]

Quite right too. I was appalled by her behaviour, especially considering her position at the university.

[Tony Rowlett]

I am bothered by the mob of protesters as much as I am bothered by Click. If the mob was comprised of college students, what on earth are they teaching them these days?

[Patrick]

Happy Birthday and thanks for all the words.

[Jeffrey]

It's probably a good rule that, college professors don't incite violence amongst peaceful students......., but, hey that's just me. Old school all the way.

[Darlene]

It is always sad to hear someone losing their job, but in this case it was justified. How can a media professor ask students to beat up members of ... the media?

[James Pilcher]

That woman got off easy. Unfortunately, Dr Click will be a hot commodity, offering her flavor of anti-American radicalism to the highest university bidder; there will be many. Her newfound celebrity will be a financial bonanza.

[Kerry Jordan]

Click baiting?

[m3photo]

Initially, as I'm sure occurred to many, I thought Dr. Click was too much of a coincidence and was certainly made up to add a touch of amusement to the story.
If this lady has any imagination (which, given her chosen field, she should have) she would have no problem setting herself up in this internet world; I mean, Dr. Click, really? Many would jump at the chance of having a name like that and deal in photography ...

[ben]

One thing that bothered me by this whole ordeal is the double standard. There are very many universities shutting down free speech, but get a pass and no national outrage if it's in the "right" direction (pun intended).

Many photographs of these protests or groups have been used to belittle or mock the protester's goals, so I can understand trying to protect them. It isn't an excuse and her behavior was wrong, but when you see the internet lynch mob arrive in force for this professor, but they are mysteriously silent about say... William and Mary's debacle of silencing freedom of speech, it makes it seem that the internet rage machine can be focused by those with media control and consistent narrative.

http://www.vox.com/2015/11/11/9715194/college-speech-censorship

[cfw]

Good. I hope the door hits her on the way out.

[emptyspaces]

Well, safe to say if you freak out in public you WILL be filmed doing it these days, so just go ahead and assume that when you get the urge to tell everyone "this was the only time."

The whole tenor of the protest bothers me, though. It's a bunch of college students building a whole lot of nothing up into something huge (which is certainly nothing new, I remember college!), and forcing the resignation of a college president who did not deserve that. The difference is, now everyone in the world walks around holding a huge microphone.

[Ivan Muller]

...still someone just lost a job, a career...in our new 'Utopian' society we get high on the misfortunes and shame of others...mistakes of any kind under any situation are not tolerated...doesn't seem like there are any winners here..

Happy birthday Mike! I just turned 57 the other day..and I realized 60 is just around the corner...who would have though life will go past so quickly?

[david stock]

Some question has been raised about whether or not the school followed due process in this firing. I think what Click did was completely wrong. Presumably she would have been fired anyhow in the long run. But it's a little chilling if, as I have read, the administration suspended her without the mandated hearing, then fired her outright in a closed session, without allowing proper defense or consultation with the faculty. There was huge pressure from Republican legislators who threatened to slash the school's budget. She violated the reporter's rights, IMO. But that doesn't mean she herself shouldn't have any rights.

[NancyP]

Melissa Click was an embarrassment to Missou, but the Republican legislators bringing pressure on Missou to fire her immediately are more of an embarrassment. The same Republican legislators also sponsored a bill to cancel the contract of any student athlete who participated in a protest. That bill got withdrawn after the national news outlets got hold of it. Admittedly, the previous Missou chancellor was a bit of an embarrassment himself.

Click could have done something else, eg, explain that the guy fasting in the tent doesn't feel good, please photograph the tent but leave him alone. A communications professor ignorant of basic communications law and unable to negotiate with a persistent photographer is a bit of a failure.