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Missouri Lawmakers Call for 2 UM Faculty Members' Termination Over Conduct During Protests

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More than 100 GOP lawmakers in Missouri have co-signed a letter to the state's flagship university system asking for two faculty members seen on video discouraging the media from covering the demonstrations following Tim Wolfe's resignation.

According to The Columbia Missourian, the lawmakers called the University of Missouri to terminate assistant professor Melissa Click and Assistant Director of Greek Life Janna Basler. The letter took issue with a viral video showing the two faculty members trying to stop two students from covering the demonstrations at the campus quad Nov. 9.

While many gathered at the quad following Wolfe's resignation, students and faculty members surrounded the area and attempted to block media members from entering.

One student named Mark Schierbecker filmed Click telling him he needed to "get out." When he replied that he did not, she asked if anyone wanted to help "get this reporter outta here, I need some muscle." Click then stated she was "communications faculty" and continued to ask him to leave. Schierbecker's video also shows Basler taking similar action against a senior photojournalism student at MU named Tim Tai, The Missourian reported.

The letter calling for Click and Basler's firing included signatures from 18 state senators and more than 100 House representatives, USA Today noted.

"The fact that, as a professor teaching in the communication department and school of journalism, she displayed such a complete disregard for the First Amendment rights 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 issue of Wolfe's tenure as the UM system's president came to light when the Mizzou football team boycotted all team activities during a graduate student's hunger strike. The student, Jonathan Butler, was protesting Wolfe's perceived neglect of racism issues on campus. The day the school's football team pledged their support for Butler, it became national news and Wolfe's followed the day after.

GOP lawmakers in Missouri previously tried introducing a bill that would penalize student-athletes who participated in demonstrations, but withdrew it shortly after. Critics of the bill argued it was another way student-athletes would be considered employees while the NCAA continue to strictly ban any form of compensation.

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