Family of Muslim ‘clock kid’ suing school officials for discrimination

The family of a Muslim boy who was arrested after taking a home-made clock to school filed a federal lawsuit on Monday against Texas school officials and others, saying the incident violated the 14-year-old boy’s civil rights, prompted death threats and forced them to leave the US.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Ahmed Mohamed, who was arrested at his suburban Dallas high school in September and charged with having a hoax bomb. He says he brought the home-made digital clock to school to show his English teacher.

Ahmed showed off the clock, made out of a plastic pencil box and electrical wire and other hardware salvaged from his parents’ garage, on Monday during a news conference with his parents and attorneys.

Irving police later dropped the charge, but he was still suspended for three days. He never returned to the school; his family chose to have him take his classes elsewhere.

The lawsuit names Irving Independent School District, the city of Irving and the school’s principal, and asks a jury to determine the damages. In November, the family asked the district and city to pay US$15 million or else face a suit. 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.