When Mizzou journalism professor Melissa Click made news last year trying to forcibly eject and thus prevent a reporter from exercising his First Amendment rights by covering a racially-charged demonstration at the university, many of us wondered: what on earth are kids learning in journalism school today?
But now there's another question looming: Why is Ms. Click still on the faculty at Mizzou?
Click was relieved of her courtesy appointment to the J school. However, she remains an untenured professor at the university. But a hundred Republican state reps and eighteen state senators want to eject her. They have written the university's board of curators:
"The fact that, as a professor teaching the communication department and the 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," reads the letter, penned by Rep. Caleb Jones and Sen. Kurt Schaefer.
The mean-spirited legislators also indicated reservations about Ms. Click's taxpayer-funded research projects. She is studying "50 Shades of Grey," Lady Gaga, and "Twilight."
When you hear the next discussion about the high cost of college tuition, think about Melissa Click and her taxpayer-backed studies.
Oh, and one more question: no Democrats in the legislature were disturbed by having Ms. Click remain on the faculty?