MU Professor's Suspension Raises Questions from State Senators

Intro:	Senate criticism continued Thursday of MU's handling of a faculty member charged with assault against a student, despite the teacher's temporary dismissal.
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Wrap: Senate critics said the temporary teaching restriction of Melissa Click would not address the criticisms of a teacher who called on students to go after a fellow student.

St. Louis County Republican Senator Eric Schmitt called Click's continued affiliation with the university a disgrace.

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Description: "You don't need to be a rocket scientist or have a Ph.D. in management to understand that because of that incident, a lot of people across the state, including taxpayers, have lost confidence in the leadership at the University of Missouri."

Click is currently going through the tenure process and will keep her job until that has completed, according to interim MU Chancellor Hank Foley.

From the state Capitol, I'm Jack Morrisroe.

Intro:	A St. Louis area black senator says her Republican colleagues were missing the point in protesting MU's failure to discipline a faculty member charged with assualt in an effort to keep reporters from black protestors.
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Wrap: Maria Chappelle-Nadal's criticism came after some Republicans said the faculty member should be fired in light of the assault charge, rather than a temporary suspension.

Chappelle-Nadal said the focus on Melissa Click distracts from the underlying issue of race relations.

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Description: "What we really need to deal with is the history of prejudice and racial bias on the campus of Mizzou."

On the other side, more than than 100 Republican state legislators have called for the immediate firing of the communications professor.

From the state Capitol, I'm Jack Morrisroe.

Intro:	MU continues to come under Republican legislative attack despite the university's decision to temporarily suspend a faculty member after charges of assault against a student.
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Wrap: It started with a viral video showing an MU teacher calling for muscle to block a student from recording video of protestors.

After more than 100 state legislators signed a letter for the teacher to be fired, the university system's curators announced a temporary suspension.

But rural north-east senator Brian Munzlinger said the university has handled the situation badly.

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Description: "Not very well at all, and it's not just me. It's the 175,000 people in my district that I represent."

On the other side, a St. Louis County Democratic senator argued the Republican attacks have distracted attention from the underlying issue of racism.

From the state Capitol, I'm Jack Morrisroe.