Mo. professor’s assault on free speech goes unpunished

What a troubling, tumultuous and chilling month of conflict, carnage and terror the past 30 days have wrought on America and the freedom-loving world. At least 147 innocent civilians have been slaughtered in mass public shootings in Paris, Colorado Springs and San Bernardino over the past four weeks.

But that string of insidious attacks on civilized conduct and constitutional ideals actually began one month ago today on Nov. 9 at a public quad at the University of Missouri in Columbia. Though no guns were fired and no body bags were employed, the attack at the revered 35,000-student university nonetheless pierced at the heart of America’s First Amendment freedoms.

As we described in this space last month, it was then and there that a jubilant rally turned ugly when a young student photographer attempted to chronicle the demonstration in pictures. In a despicable display of turf-protecting hate, students and some faculty pushed, shoved and taunted him. The fray reached a climax when Melissa Click, a professor of mass communication, was captured on video verbally intimidating and threatening the photojournalist.

After a national uproar, Click resigned her position as a “courtesy appointee” to the university’s renowned school of journalism but remains an assistant professor. She also offered an apology.

Neither serves as adequate punishment.

RENEWED CALL

So now after a month of inexplicable silence and inaction by police, prosecutors and the University of Missouri itself, we renew our call for Ms. Click’s termination as a full-time faculty member.

Bullying and intimidating contradict the constitutional ideals that Click as a mass-media scholar should project to students. By doing nothing, the university sends a message of tacit excusal that sets a poor example for students and sullies the reputation of the respected university.

Nothing short of stern punishment should be acceptable. Such punishment should include a criminal charge of simple assault and immediate termination of her contract – tenured or not – for grossly violating professional standards.

In the legal arena, prosecutors and others have been dragging their feet over whether to charge the professor with assault. The evidence for such a charge, however, appears to be strong. A video recorded by a student who filed the criminal complaint against Click documents essential elements of simple assault as defined in Missouri law as “knowingly causing physical contact with another person knowing it will be considered offensive by the other person.”

Yet even if charged and convicted, Click at most would serve a maximum of 15 days in jail and be slapped with a paltry fine. But considering the act took place in a public arena on a public campus by one who is employed to uphold the freedoms of public speech and assembly, such punishment would be grossly insufficient. Nothing short of permanent termination rises as an appropriate sanction.

Turning the cheek would send a misguided message to students that any infraction of laws and university rules need not be taken seriously. Worse yet, it would set a double standard between second-class students and privileged faculty.

University of Missouri policymakers can remove the growing stain on the UM image by acting post haste to fire Ms. Click and thereby affirm its allegiance first and foremost to protection of First Amendment liberties.