Family of Muslim teen arrested over clock files lawsuit

Source: News Corp Australia Network:

August 8, 2016 at 13:10

THE family of a Muslim boy who was arrested after bringing a homemade clock to school has sued Texas school officials, saying they violated the 14-year-old boy’s civil rights.

The lawsuit was filed on Monday on behalf of Ahmed Mohamed.

The teen was arrested at his suburban Dallas high school in September and charged with having a hoax bomb. He says he brought the homemade clock to school to show his teacher.

Ahmed Mohamed was arrested after bringing his homemade clock to school. Picture: AFP.Source:Supplied

The charge was later dropped, but he was still suspended.

The lawsuit names Irving independent School District, the city of Irving and the school’s principal.

District spokeswoman Lesley Weaver said in a statement on 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, adding that school officials for now will have no further comment. The Mohamed family questioned whether the boy was mistreated due to his religion but the district has denied the claim.

When Mohamed’s clock began ticking in class, an English teacher claimed it looked suspicious, prompting the principal and several police officers to question him, search his belongings and march him from the school in handcuffs.

I expect they will have more to say tomorrow, but Ahmed's sister asked me to share this photo. A NASA shirt! pic.twitter.com/nR4gt992gB
— Anil Dash (@anildash) September 16, 2015

The shocking arrest has sparked outrage, with everyone from US President Barack Obama to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg throwing their support behind him.

At the time, pictures of Mohamed wearing a NASA T-shirt and looking confused circulated the internet.
He was taken to a juvenile detention centre where police questioned him at length about why he would take a “hoax bomb” to school.

Thank you fellow supporters. We can ban together to stop this racial inequality and prevent this from happening again pic.twitter.com/fBlmckoafU
— Ahmed Mohamed (@IStandWithAhmed) September 16, 2015

The family has since moved to Qatar, citing threats and a scholarship offered to Mohamed in the Persian Gulf country.

He moved back to the US last month for the summer to visit family and friends, and will do some travelling around the country.

Among the claims made in the suit, which was brought by the teen’s father, Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed, is that the boy’s right to equal protection under the law was violated and that officers arrested him without probable cause.

“History tells us that when we have stood tall and proud for equality and freedom, we have grown as a nation,” the suit says. “When we have given in to fear and hate, we flounder.” The suit adds, “In the case of Ahmed Mohamed, we have the opportunity to take a stand for equality and for justice, two things that should prevail above all else.”