'Clock Kid' Ahmed Mohamed's family suing Texas city
Remember Ahmed Mohamed, the 14-year-old Muslim schoolboy whose homemade clock was mistaken for a bomb, causing his arrest?
Well, his family filed a lawsuit against school officials and others in Texas Monday, saying the incident violated his civil rights, prompted death threats and forced them to leave the United States.
Mohamed was arrested at MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas, last September after bringing the clock -- which was made out of a plastic pencil box and hardware salvaged from his parents' garage -- in to show his English teacher.
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He was swiftly charged with having a hoax bomb.
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The charge was later dropped, but Mohamed was still suspended for three days. He never returned to the school.
Mohamed showed the clock to reporters during a news conference Monday.
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The lawsuit names Irving Independent School District, the city of Irving and the school's principal, and asks a jury to determine the damages. The family demanded $15 million from the city of Irving last November.
District spokeswoman Lesley Weaver said in a statement Monday that attorneys for the district will review the suit and determine a course of action. "Irving ISD continues to deny violating the student's rights and will respond to claims in accordance with court rules," she said.
"For the safety of my family, I have to go back to Qatar, because right now it's not very safe for my family or for anyone who's a minority."
The family has since moved to Qatar, citing threats and a scholarship offered to Mohamed out there. He's due to start 10th grade at Qatar Academy in Doha in September.
"For the safety of my family, I have to go back to Qatar, because right now it's not very safe for my family or for anyone who's a minority," Ahmed said during Monday's news conference.
While in Texas, Ahmed said, he has to wear a hat, sunglasses and a hoody. "I can't walk out of the house without being covered up because I might get shot because that happens here," he said.
His parents, Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed and Muna Ibrahim, have not found work in Qatar and so the family of eight is living in government housing and on food vouchers.
Among the claims made in the suit is that the boy's right to equal protection under the law was violated and that officers arrested him without probable cause. Ahmed was a victim of systemic discrimination by the school district and state Board of Education that has marginalized Muslims and other minority groups, the suit claims.
Mohamed was flooded with support following the incident. Mark Zuckerburg invited him to Facebook HQ, Steve Wozniak called him a "modern day hero," NASA praised him, and President Barack Obama even invited him to the White House.
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The Associated Press contributed reporting.
Tim Chester was Senior Editor, Real Time News in Los Angeles. Before that he was Deputy Editor of Mashable UK in London. Prior to joining Mashable, Tim was a Senior Web Editor at Penguin Random House, helping to relaunch the Rough Guides website and other travel brands. He was also a writer for Buzzfeed, GQ and The Sunday Times, covering everything from culture to tech and current affairs. Before that, he was Deputy Editor at NME.COM, overseeing content and development on the London-based music and entertainment site. Tim loves music and travel and has combined these two passions at festivals from Iceland to Malawi and beyond.
