Missouri Professor Won’t Find A “Safe Space” In Jail

• University of Missouri professor Melissa Click who was seen in a viral video calling for “some muscle” to remove a student journalist has been charged with assault for her actions.
• The journalist, Mark Schierbecker, was happy the professor was charged, but warned that her actions reflect a broader problem.
• Click will face up to 15 days in jail for here actions.

A University of Missouri communications professor who called for “some muscle” to get a student journalist to back off during campus protests in November was charged on Monday with misdemeanor assault, prosecutors said.

The student journalist, whose video of the incident during anti-racism protests went viral, had filed a complaint against Melissa Click with university police.

Click, an assistant professor in the university's communication department, and university officials could not be reached immediately for comment.

Melissa Click, former University of Missouri professor: I was fired because I’m white https://t.co/4MfSCDPKz1 pic.twitter.com/qrX2j1stmY

— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) April 25, 2016

In the video shot by student Mark Schierbecker, Click can be seen calling on protesters to remove Schierbecker and a student photographer from a spot in the school quad where protesters had set up an encampment which they claimed was private space.

Click's hand can be seen blocking the video image at least twice. She issued an apology for her actions.

Schierbecker said in a statement on Monday that Click's actions reflect a broader problem facing students and journalists on college campuses.

“I don't want anyone to assume that because the city is dealing with her criminal behavior, that this problem goes away,” he said. “I am urging the University to enact reasonable protections that ensure journalists can gather news without being strong-armed.”

Schierbecker, a 22-year-old senior majoring in history and German who plans to pursue a career in journalism, said in an interview that he was pleased that Click was charged.

Click will be issued a summons to appear and given a court date, according to the Columbia, Missouri, city prosecutor's office. The charge of third-degree assault, a class C misdemeanor, carries a sentence of up to 15 days in jail and a fine of $300.

Watch  CBS Morning  as Melissa Click opens up about the controversial video:

(Reporting by Suzannah Gonzales in Chicago; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

BY SUZANNAH GONZALES, REUTERS