.jpg) Ahmed Mohamed, October 2015 | |
| Date | September 14, 2015 |
|---|---|
| Venue | MacArthur High School |
| Location | Irving, Texas, United States |
| Outcome | Mohamed suspended from MacArthur High School for three days |
| Arrests | 1 |
| Charges | None |
| Litigation | Three lawsuits filed by Mohamed's family; all dismissed |
On September 14, 2015, 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed was arrested at MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas, for bringing a disassembled digital clock to school. The incident ignited allegations of racial profiling and Islamophobia from many media sources and commentators.
The episode arose when Mohamed reassembled the parts of a digital clock in an 8-inch (20 cm)[1] pencil container and brought it to school to show his teachers. His English teacher thought the device resembled a bomb, confiscated it, and reported him to the principal. The local police were called, and they questioned him for an hour and a half. He was handcuffed, taken into custody and transported to a juvenile detention facility, where he was fingerprinted and his mug shot was taken. He was then released to his parents. According to local police, they arrested him because they initially suspected he may have purposely caused a bomb scare. The case was not pursued further by the juvenile justice authorities, but he was suspended from school.
Following the incident, the police determined Mohamed had no malicious intent, and he was not charged with any crime.[2][3] News of the incident went viral – initially on Twitter – with allegations by commentators that the actions of the school officials and police were due to their stereotyping of Mohamed based on his Sudanese ancestry and Muslim faith. Afterwards, U.S. President Barack Obama as well as other politicians, activists, technology company executives, and media personalities commented about the incident. Many of them praised Mohamed for his ingenuity and creativity, and he was invited to participate in a number of high-profile events related to encouraging youth interest in science and technology. Although Mohamed was cleared in the final police investigation, he became the subject of conspiracy theories – many of them contradictory, citing no evidence, and conflicting with established facts – which claimed that the incident was a deliberate hoax.[2][4]
On November 23, 2015, Ahmed's family threatened to sue the City of Irving and the school district for civil rights violations and physical and mental anguish unless they received written apologies and compensation of $15 million.[5][6] This lawsuit was dismissed in May 2017 for lack of evidence.[7] The family also sued conservative talk show hosts Glenn Beck, Ben Shapiro, and another Fox News commentator for lesser amounts on the grounds of defamation of character. Both cases were dismissed with prejudice for First Amendment free speech reasons.[8] In late 2015, his family decided to accept a scholarship from the Qatar Foundation and move to Qatar.[9]
- ^ "Letters demand $15 million, say Irving officials worked to smear Ahmed Mohamed after clock arrest". Dallas News. November 23, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
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Independent15mwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Family of Muslim Teen Seeks $15M in Clock Incident". ABC News. Associated Press. November 23, 2015. Archived from the original on November 24, 2015.
- ^ "Family who sued after a boy's clock was mistaken for a bomb sees suit tossed". CNN. May 22, 2017.
- ^ "Glenn Beck dismissed from 'clock boy' defamation suit". Dallas News. January 10, 2017. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
- ^ Selk, Avi (October 23, 2015). "Ahmed gets his clock back, as fans and foes prepare to bid the boy farewell". Newspaper. The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on October 24, 2015. Retrieved October 25, 2015.