'Clock Boy' Sues Texas High School After Arrest Over Homemade Clock Mistaken For Bomb

IRVING, TX — The student dubbed "clock boy" by the media, arrested for bringing a "suspicious-looking" homemade timepiece mistaken for a bomb to class for a science project, has sued the school district, alleging violation of his civil rights.

The Texas Tribune and other media outlets reported the family of 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed has filed the litigation nearly one year after his arrest. The incident at MacArthur High School in Irving, a suburb of Dallas, made international headlines and quickly went viral last September.

The suit alleges the boy was targeted for his race and religion, according to media reports. It also charges violations of his Fourth Amendment rights after he was interrogated by police and the school principal without the benefit of having his parents present.

After news of his arrest emerged, supporters of Mohamed were legion. His plight inspired the hashtag #IStandWithAhmed. And no less a figure than President Obama entered the fray, writing on Twitter that, “We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It’s what makes America great.”

The original charge of "possession of a hoax bomb" was eventually dropped, but the school suspended Mohamed for three days. The family later decided to move back to their native Qatar after the incident.

The lawsuit also cites a pattern of disproportionate disciplinary action for black students in the Irving Independent School District along with a history of anti-Muslim sentiment.

The family has retained the Texas law firm of Hutchinson & Stoy, which previously represented a Baylor University student claiming that the school ignored reports that she had been raped by a football player.

The newly filed lawsuit doesn't specify the amount of monetary damages requested, but a previous demand letter from the family telegraphed its intent to sue for $15 million.

“This is the only real enforcement mechanism we have,” Fort Worth attorney Susan Hutchison told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “He would not have been treated the way he was treated had he not been an African American and a Muslim.”

The case was filed in Dallas federal court by Ahmed’s father, Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed “as next friend for Ahmed Mohamed,” according to the Star-Telegram. The case was assigned to Senior U.S. District Court Judge A. Joe Fish in the Northern District of Texas.

While the clock incident is the centerpiece of the suit, it also details a history of discrimination against the student — including allegations he was taunted by other students with nicknames of "Sausage Boy" and "Bacon Boy" in reference to his religion's aversion to pork.

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