Student Conduct office reviews RJI altercation
Junior Jay Dee Bush, 32, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of assault.
Published March 11, 2011
The student arrested on charges of assaulting a professor in the Reynolds Journalism Institute on Tuesday went through an academic disciplinary hearing Thursday. Although the Office of Student Conduct does not comment on individual disciplinary cases, one victim in the incident said Student Conduct's decision will affect whether he chooses to press charges.
MU Police Department Capt. Brian Weimer said the incident started at about 2 p.m Tuesday when junior Jay Dee Bush, 32, entered the Futures Lab in RJI with a drink and assistant professor Karen Mitchell asked him to throw it away. When he refused, Mitchell picked up the drink to throw it away.
Weimer said Bush pushed Mitchell from behind, shoving her into a table. Both the table and Mitchell fell to the ground. Senior journalism student David Teeghman said he then tried to intervene and pull Bush away.
“By the time I got over there, Karen was back up,” Teeghman said. “I tried to pull him off of her, and ended up pulling him onto me. He pushed me and had his hands on my throat just for a second.”
Teeghman said there were about a dozen other students present and people could see the incident from both the first floor and the Futures Lab.
Weimer said Bush’s motive was not determined in the incident.
“I don’t know why he did it, but he assaulted two other people and that’s that,” Weimer said.
Teeghman's parents were the first people to notify MUPD at about 2:30 p.m.
“I left the J-School pretty quickly after the incident and called my parents,” Teeghman said. “I kind of assumed the professors who talked to the student afterward would call the police. It didn’t occur to me to be the one to do so.”
When first contacted by The Maneater, MUPD had not received a call regarding the Futures Lab altercation. Weimer said he was concerned that MUPD was not immediately alerted of the incident.
Teeghman said the result of Bush’s academic disciplinary hearing would have an impact on whether he presses charges.
“I initially wanted to because I thought he wasn’t going to get any sort of academic punishment,” Teeghman said. “The only card I had was to press charges legally. I still haven’t made up my mind.”
Bush remained in the Futures Lab after the incident and was arrested at about 3 p.m. on simple assault charges, a misdemeanor under Columbia city ordinances. Bush was released after posting $500 bond, Weimer said. Bush is listed in the student directory as a junior and is still enrolled at MU, according to the University Registrar.
Comments (7)
3:20 p.m., March 12, 2011
William Honely said:
Wow. SMDH Why would this be considered a hate crime?? How about you look up the laws about hate crimes and that will tell you why the spray painting is considered as such. And with people making comments like "Blacks at MU are there for 2 things. 1. Athletics and 2. Diversity credit", that is why those things are getting the attention they deserve. If it can be proven a hate crime it gets charged as such. But I highly doubt this incident was b/c of skin color. People like you make me sick. "Protected class". Really? Wow. And spray painting on property that is not yours is freedom of speech. SMDH Your comments speak volumes about you and the kind of person you are. So we clearly know what side of the fence you are on and what color your hood is.
3:28 p.m., March 12, 2011
William Honely said:
Or how about the fact that Elliott is also charged with spray painting F*** You Jew on a car nearby. But those things aren't important to you are they? SMDH
5:41 p.m., March 12, 2011
anonymous said:
Professor Mitchell is not white. http://journalism.missouri.edu/faculty/karen-mitchell.html
3:08 a.m., March 13, 2011
checking your facts said:
uh, karen mitchell is not white... http://journalism.missouri.edu/faculty/karen-mitchell.html
1:10 p.m., March 13, 2011
Ro said:
Jonathan, congratulations on your ability to THINK. Glad to see you put your education to good use.
2:34 p.m., March 13, 2011
Shelley said:
Jonathan, even a cursory glance through Google would demonstrate why this is not racially motivated. However, one can not say the same thing about your comment.
9:47 a.m., March 11, 2011
Jonathan said:
Shouldn't this be considered a hate crime? Wasn't the 32 year old Bush Black, Professor Mitchell and assistant Professor Teeghman white? Why was Bush's bond only $500? Was Bush having racist motivations or thoughts when he allegedly assaulted the two individuals? Looks to me he did. The two idiots who dropped cotton balls in front of the Black Culture Center got a $4,500 bond. The politically correct knee jerk spastic over reaction to that incident labeled a "hate crime" brought in all the resources of MUPD as well as well as CPD. For merely littering and we still have to hear about it's "ramifications." The judge in the case revoked their drivers licenses for a year and threw everything at them she could so she could prance around and declare herself a crusader for "social justice." The drunken moron who vandalized the statue and spray painted the "N" word on it got a $4500 bond, charged with a "hate crime," and in another reactionary PC response was immediately expelled from MU. Did these individuals physcially assault anyone? The only thing they hurt was the feelings of a "protected class." But in the cockeyed world of liberalism they were the most vicious criminals imaginable. There is no constitutional right not to get your feelings hurt, or a right to litter or vandalize, there is freedom of speech however no matter how repelent. You do however have a right not to be savagely assaulted. That is a real crime and MUPD needs to quit pussy footing around it. Mr. Bush should be temporarily suspended and expelled if found guilty. Charges must be persued, period.