2015 clash between the media and racial protesters at the University of Missouri

On November 9, 2015, soon after the resignation of University of Missouri System president Tim Wolfe, a group of protesters allying themselves with the Concerned Student 1950 racial protest group formed a human wall between members of the media and a core group of protesters at the group's tent city on Carnahan Quadrangle. It was part of the 2015-16 University of Missouri protests, which itself was part of Black Lives Matter.
After a conflict erupted between the protesters and the journalists who were attempting to cover the event, video of one confrontation went viral. The video spurred investigations of the staff and faculty involved that led to the firing of a communication professor, Melissa Click, who assaulted a student journalist in the video.
The firing of Click led the American Association of University Professors to censure the university for violations of due process.
Background
Activists from the Occupy SLU demonstrations in 2014 advised Concerned Student 1950 against talking to the media.
A group of student protesters calling themselves Concerned Student 1950 set up camp on Carnahan Quadrangle. One of the group's leaders staged a hunger strike and players on the MU football team promised to end team activities until Wolfe left his position. On the morning of Monday, November 9, Wolfe stepped down.
November 9, 2015
Shortly after the resignation of University of Missouri System president Tim Wolfe on November 9, 2015, at the University of Missouri, a group of protesters formed a human wall between members of the media and a core group of protesters at Carnahan Quadrangle.
Wolfe's resignation came after days of him insisting he would remain as president, taking some at the camp by surprise. Shortly after Wolfe announced his resignation at 10:15 am, members of Concerned Student 1950 requested a "safe space" free from reporters to regroup, and retreated into the encampment. Protesters immediately began forming a human barrier to separate journalists from the protest. On the quad, celebrations over Wolfe's departure turned into anger at journalists who were perceived as being intrusive.
On the south end of the quad, Tim Tai, an MU student photographer on a freelance assignment for ESPN, stood outside the circle that was forming and was being blocked from taking photos of the encampment. In the encounter filmed by student Mark Schierbecker, Chip Callahan, the chair of the MU Department of Religious Studies tells Tai not to push people. Tai disputes that he has done so.
Callahan's wife, Melissa Click, an assistant professor of Communication at MU led protesters in a chant of "hey, hey, ho, ho. Reporters have got to go."
Janna Basler, assistant director of Greek Life, tells Tai to "back off" and tells him that he was "infringing on what need right now, which is to be alone."
During the encounter, Storm Ervin, one of the 11 original protesters from Concerned Student 1950, told Tai to step back.
The line of students began to walk forward pushing Tai backward. In the course of the confrontation Basler makes physical contact with Tai. Basler tells Tai, "I don’t have a choice."
Inside the circle Schierbecker identified himself as "media" to Click, and requested an interview with her. Click told him "no, you need to get out," and then grasped Schierbecker camera briefly when he refused to leave before calling to others: "Hey, who wants to help me get this reporter out of here? I need some muscle over here."
The next morning Schierbecker posted a longer video of the confrontation showing about 50 seconds of footage prior to the first video, and about 5 minutes after the first video ends. An anonymous employee told The Missourian that Tai had briefly tried to push through her and other protesters early in the encounter. Schierbecker's longer video shows Tai leaning forward into the wall of protesters early in the confrontation, Tai told the newspaper he was only trying to maintain his balance.
After the video started picking up traction later that day, Concerned Student 1950 started defending its actions on social media. In one tweet they asked for media to give the camp some space so that they could be protected from "twisted insincere narratives." In another tweet they wrote, "If you have a problem with us wanting to have our spaces that we create respected, leave!" However on November 10 Concerned Student 1950 removed signs that had warned the media to stay away. The protest group handed out fliers to demonstrators calling the events of the day before a "Teachable Moment."

"The media is important to tell our story and experiences at Mizzou to the world," the flier read. "Let's welcome and thank them."
Janna Basler
In a statement November 10 Basler apologized to Tai.

Yesterday, I allowed my emotions to get the best of me while trying to protect some of our students. Instead of defusing an already tense situation, I contributed to its escalation. I regret how I handled the situation, and I am offering a public apology to the journalist involved. ... What happened on Carnahan Quadrangle has been a lesson for me. I am deeply sorry for what happened.

In a statement defending Basler, the three MU Greek councils wrote that, "we do not feel as if her actions at that time were reflective of her intentions to support students."
On November 11 Basler apologized to Tai in person, which he accepted. That same day the MU Office of Greek Life placed Basler on administrative leave pending an investigation. On December 8 Basler received a formal Letter of Reprimand from the Department of Greek Life. She returned to her job in December more than a month after she had been put on leave.
Melissa Click
In a statement, department of communication chair Mitchell S. McKinney said, "We applaud student journalists who were working in a very trying atmosphere to report a significant story. Intimidation is never an acceptable form of communication."
On November 10 Click apologized to Schierbecker in her office and Tai over the phone. While Tai accepted her apology, Schierbecker was doubtful whether her apology was sincere and requested that she accompany him for an interview with KBIA, a local NPR member station.
The same day Brian Brooks, a former associate dean of the Missouri School of Journalism, filed Title IX complaints against Basler and Click.
After The Maneater Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Loutfi released a statement calling for Click to be removed from her chair position on the Student Publications Committee, the group tasked with making policy recommendations for The Maneater to the chancellor, saying that it threatened the newspaper's "objectivity and credibility as a student publication." On November 11 Click released a statement announcing her resignation from the committee.
On January 4 over 100 Republicans in the Missouri legislature signed a letter requesting that the university fire Click.
On January 21 in an op-ed in The Washington Post UM Curator David Steelman wrote that “Professor Click’s actions were at a minimum in reckless disregard of student rights and safety; and they were clearly disrespectful,” and that she should be fired.
On January 25 the Columbia city prosecutor filed simple assault charges against Click, a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to 15 days in jail and a $300 fine. Click's attorney said Click would enter a not guilty plea and waive formal arraignment on the charge. On January 29 the city prosecutor announced that Click had agreed to a deferred prosecution deal with 20 hours of community service and a year of probation. At a press conference later that day, Interim MU Chancellor Hank Foley said that Click's employment with the university was secure until her tenure was reviewed, planned to be completed by August. Foley also apologized to Tai and Schierbecker.
On January 27 the Board of Curators voted unanimously to suspend Click with pay pending the completion of an investigation.
In February the MU Faculty Council Executive Committee wrote that the Board of Curators had violated Click's right to due process, and that the existing "faculty irresponsibility" disciplinary process was adequate.
On February 4 supporters of Click from Concerned Student 1950 disrupted a Board of Curators meeting in the Reynolds Alumni Center.
Concerned Student 1950 released a statement saying that Click had become a "victim of social and political violence."
On February 15, after police bodycam footage of Click cursing at a police officer during a homecoming parade was released by The Columbia Missourian, Foley released a statement calling her behavior "appalling," saying he would address her "pattern of misconduct" with the curators.
Missouri legislature involvement
Missouri state senator Paul Wieland initiated a written "faculty irresponsibility" complaint against Click with the university for her actions at the Homecoming parade and November 9 protest. Wieland's charge was not investigated as the university determined he did not have standing with the university.
On February 23 House Budget Chairman Tom Flanigan proposed eliminating about $400,000 in state funding from the Mizzou's budget, noted by Flanigan as equivalent to the salaries of Click, the chair in communications and the dean of arts and science. Following Click's firing, on March 1 Flanigan proposed restoring the budget he had proposed cutting.
Threats
Click canceled classes November 10 citing "rape and death threats." In January The Chronicle of Higher Education obtained 1,100 pages of emails Click received from November 9-10.
Investigation
In a February interview Click told investigators she disagreed with Stokes' letter of reprimand that called her actions "completely unacceptable," and saying that she "failed to exercise appropriate restraint," that she "failed to show respect for the opinion of others," and that she "made a serious mistake," saying that Stokes never asked for her side of the story.
On 25 February the Board of Curators voted 4-2 to fire Click. Middleton and Foley both supported the decision. On March 14 the Board of Curators voted unanimously to reject Click's appeal of her firing. The Faculty Council released a statement accusing the Board of violating Click's right to due process.
Dispute with other reporter
In interviews Click characterized her actions on November 9th "one moment," saying, "I don’t think one mistake should be the end of a career."
In interviews Schierbecker told journalists he believed Click was dishonestly downplaying the incident with him as the only one she was involved in that day. He said he had seen her grab another person's camera earlier in the day.
"A scrum of reporters came up to and asked this student and turned them down and laid hands on this man's camera," Schierbecker said. "If she's going to continue with the narrative that this is just between me and her... That's not true."
Asked in another February interview with KMIZ whether Schierbecker's claims were true, Click acknowledged that a reporter grabbed her arm, but denied that she touched anyone else's camera saying, “The day was a really busy one with lots of things going on. I don’t know how could say that and I don’t know what evidence he has to prove that."
Footage from the student-filmed Field of Vision documentary Concerned Student 1950 released publicly in March 2016 shows Click put her hand on an unidentified journalist's camera shielding it from a Concerned Student 1950 member. The cameraman reacts, grasping Click’s arm down forcefully.
On May 19 the AAUP found that the curators "violated basic standards of academic due process” in firing her. In June AAUP voted unanimously to formalize the committee's recommendation to censure Mizzou.
By September Click was hired at Gonzaga University as a lecturer. As of April, Click is planning to sue the Board of Curators. An online crowdfunding campaign started by a friend of Click is raising money to help defray Click's legal expenses.
Tim Tai
Tai was a former photojournalist for The Missourian.
In December 2015 Tai won the "First Amendment Defender Award" from the Radio Television Digital News Association for his actions at the protest.
In June Tai was awarded a John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award from the National Press Club.
Reactions
Obama White House Press Secretary Josh Ernest said he criticized the actions of protesters, saying, "The reason that you have public protests and public demonstrations is so the public can be aware of your concerns. And it seems to me that you are going to have a hard time getting that message out if you are going to limit the ability of the media to cover you in a public place."

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