GOP lawmakers are calling for the firing of a University of Missouri professor who interfered with student photographer Tim Tai shooting a campus protest, reports USA Today.
Video of the incident showed assistant professor Melissa Click and staff member Janna Basler trying to intimidate Tai who was on a freelance assignment. At one point, Basler is seen grabbing the camera of another journalist, Mark Schierbecker and Click is heard calling to the protesters for “muscle” to keep the journalists away.
Tai maintained his composure throughout the entire ordeal and asserted his first amendment rights.
The incident happened November 9 during a protest accusing the University of Missouri of not doing enough to deal with racism on campus. It came after Columbus’ chancellor resigned over the issue.
The Missouri Republicans accuse Click of failing “to meet the obligations she has to her supervisors, fellow professors, University students, and the taxpayers of Missouri.”
Both Click and the university declined to comment.