Payton Head, student government presidentJonathan Butler, hunger striker[1] Timothy Wolfe, president of University of Missouri SystemR.

[2][3] While it is alleged that bad publicity from the protests has led to dropping enrollment and cutbacks, others have cited budget cuts issued from the state legislature.

They were arrested and charged with tampering, which is a felony, and which was prosecuted as a hate crime based on evocation of the historical slur "cotton picker" to describe enslaved or sharecropping blacks.

[8][9] On September 12, 2015, a Facebook post[10] by the student government president Payton Head described bigotry and anti-gay sentiment around the college campus, which gained widespread attention.

[11][12] He claimed that in an incident off campus, unidentified people in the back of a passing pickup truck directed racial slurs at him.

"For those of you who wonder why I'm always talking about the importance of inclusion and respect, it's because I've experienced moments like this multiple times at THIS university, making me not feel included here.

[15] This prompted chancellor Loftin, traveling outside the US, to record a video message in response and to release a statement that said, "Racism and all prejudice is heinous, insidious and damaging to Mizzou... That is why all of us must commit to changing the culture at this university.

On October 24,[17] a police officer responding to a property damage complaint reported that an unknown vandal had smeared feces in the shape of a swastika on a bathroom wall in a dorm on campus.

[21][22] His statement said, "Mr. Wolfe had ample opportunity to create policies and reform that could shift the culture of Mizzou in a positive direction but in each scenario he failed to do so."

Some protesters said the coverage was impacted by journalists' lack of previous race-related experience, reliance on scripted behaviors, and desire to cover the event as "outsiders looking in.

[29] In August 2015, the university had issued a statement to graduate students that said, "The Affordable Care Act prevents employers from giving employees money specifically so they can buy health insurance on the individual market.

[42][43][44][45] Soon after the announcement of the resignations, there was a widely publicized dispute between student photojournalist Tim Tai, on a freelance assignment for ESPN, and protesters on Carnahan Quad where they had erected an encampment.

While attempting to cover the event, Tai got into a dispute with, and was physically confronted by, students and those who would later be identified as University of Missouri staff and faculty, including untenured communication professor Melissa Click.

[46] Click appeared to grab Tai's camera after he approached her asking if "he could be here", and then threatened student Kayla Schierbecker, yelling "Who wants to help me get this reporter out of here?

"[47] Other staff who interfered with Tai's attempts to photograph the scene included Janna Basler, the university's assistant director of Greek life and leadership, and Richard J.

[46] Schierbecker's video of Tai debating his right to be in a public area became widely distributed and commented on in the mainstream media.

[48][49][50][51][52][53][54] The day after the incident, with Tai getting support from the Missouri Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder and others, the campus group Concerned Student 1950 passed out fliers calling the confrontation between journalists and protesters a "Teachable Moment" and directing the students to welcome the media to campus as a way to tell the story of the protests.

[61][62][63][64] In a video obtained by the Columbia Missourian in February 2016, Click was seen shouting a profanity at police officers as they attempted to clear protesting students from a road at the school's homecoming parade.

"[73] On November 11, 2015, the MU officially remained open, though many individual classes were cancelled after threats on social media and by phone.

[79] U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jarred Prier argues that Russian influence operatives use U.S. social media as an information warfare medium, spreading false information during incidents of racial unrest in order to inflame racial tensions in the United States and discredit the Obama administration.

[90][91] On the evening of November 12, the governing board of the University of Missouri decided in a closed-door meeting to name Michael Middleton, a law professor and deputy chancellor emeritus as the interim president.

"[94] Missouri Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder issued a statement supporting the journalists covering the protests on November 9.

He called for investigating the incident saying, "Faculty and staff cannot be allowed to pick and choose which rights, viewpoints and freedoms they respect.