U. of Missouri Rejects Melissa Click’s Appeal of Her Firing

[Updated (3/15/2016, 12:34 p.m.) with a statement from Melissa Click.]

The University of Missouri’s governing board has rejected Melissa A. Click’s appeal of her termination, The Columbia Daily Tribune reports.

The Board of Curators voted on Monday to reject the appeal of Ms. Click, an assistant professor of communication who drew ire nationally for trying to block a student journalist from an area on the Columbia campus where protesters had gathered last year.

The board voted last month to fire Ms. Click after an investigation. It said in a statement on Tuesday that she had “brought no new relevant information to the curators.”

Ms. Click has said she was made a scapegoat after supporting students who were protesting racism on the campus.

On Tuesday she said in a written statement that she was “not surprised” by, but “certainly dissatisfied” with, the decision to deny her appeal. “Although the curators’ decision appears to be designed to discourage future activism,” she said, “I hope the MU community will continue to advocate for fair treatment of all students, staff, and faculty.”