The University of Missouri media professor who was branded a traitor to her profession for siccing "some muscle" on a campus reporter has cut a deal with prosecutors.
Melissa Click agreed to do 20 hours of community service and stay out of trouble for a year in return for "deferred prosecution" on a misdemeanor third-degree assault charge that could have sent her to jail for 15 days, the city prosecutor in Colombia, Missouri said Friday in a statement.
"Based on the facts of this case, I believe this disposition to be appropriate," City Prosecutor Stephen Richey said in the statement. "This disposition is in keeping with my office's handling of dozens of similar Municipal cases and adequately serves the interest of justice by ensuring the defendant will not engage in similar conduct."
There was no immediate comment from Click, who still faces the possibility of being booted from the university.
Click became infamous last fall when she was caught on video trying to block reporter Mark Schierbecker from covering a protest by a group called Concerned Student 1950 about the school's handling of a series of reportedly racist incidents on campus.
"Hey, who wants to help me get this reporter out of here? I need some muscle over here," Click yelled after pushing the reporter's camera.
After Schierbecker told Click he had every right to be there, the professor blocked his camera with her hand and said, ""I get that argument, but you need to go."
Click has apologized. But the university's Board of Curators suspended her Thursday.
Concerned Student 1950 has issued a statement in support of Click, calling her a victim of "social and political violence," the Columbia Daily Tribune reported.
