MU Faculty Council meeting gets heated after Click terminated
The MU Faculty Council met Thursday afternoon after the decision was made by UM Curators to fire communication professor Dr. Melissa Click.
Ben Trachtenburg, who is on the executive committee of the council, said he disagrees with the curators’ decision to terminate Click. ABC 17 News heard others in the
crowd saying, “hear, hear.”
Interim Chancellor Hank Foley addressed a tense crowd of faculty, who were using the words fascism, violation of rights, and legislative bullying.
One faculty member asked Foley what was “so appalling” about Click’s confrontation with Columbia Police on the second video to surface.
On a question of racial issues, Foley said, “We have to work hard to make sure students of color feel welcome on this campus.”
Another professor said faculty members shouldn’t have to give up their civil rights.
Foley called the current state of the university “extraordinary times” and some said they fear the phrase is a cover for another agenda and said the process was abused.
Another faculty member asked if gender had something to do with Click’s firing, and someone then shouted, “white woman.”
Foley said the lack of action by MU prompted the UM Curators to act on Click’s issue, and Foley said he agrees with the curators’ actions.
The crowd got more tense when faculty began to take shots at the media, saying it only shares “parts of the story, and out of context.”
An allegation of “proxy racism” got applause from many in the room. Another faculty member asked Foley how she can get a member of the UM Curators fired.
