Attorneys representing Ahmed Mohamed and his family want an apology and $15 million in damages after his arrest in September. The former MacArthur High School freshman was accused of bringing an item that looked like a bomb to school. It turned out to be a clock.
The attorneys have sent letters to both the City of Irving and Irving ISD (read below), demanding $10 million and $5 million respectively, for the way the incident was handled earlier this year. They claim 14-year-old Ahmed has suffered severe damages as a result of his interrogation and arrest at the school. They also point the finger at Irving’s Police Chief and Mayor for the way they portrayed Ahmed to the media once the story gained international interest.
The attorneys claim that both the school district and the police department violated Ahmed’s rights, which led to a chain of events that ultimately forced the family to move out of the country to Doha, Qatar. The family wants to return to Irving, Texas, when they feel safe again, according to the letters.
Several hardships are spelled out in the nine-page letter to the school district, which states, “Ahmed’s reputation in the global community is permanently scarred.” Among the damages his attorney’s claim include: Ahmed’s face being super-imposed onto a famous image of Osama bin Laden, Ahmed being portrayed as a clock boy on a Halloween costume website, and Ahmed’s address being tweeted out, which forced his family to leave their home.
In the days after his arrest, support poured in from across the world for Ahmed. President Barack Obama invited Ahmed to attend the White House and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and a NASA scientist also voiced their support. The hashtag – #IStandWithAhmed – was trending on the day of his arrest.
The week of the incident, an Irving ISD spokesperson said the district supported Ahmed’s English teacher’s action when she confiscated the homemade clock.
“A teacher heard beeping in her classroom, and then this device was brought to her. So, what she saw was a case with exposed wires and a timer attached to it,” said Lesley Weaver, director of communications for the Irving ISD. “She did the right thing. She followed the correct procedures. She involved the school resource officer and school administrators.”
Poster Comment:
ESAD Ahmed!
