In September of 2015, 14 year old Ahmed Mohamed brought a “home made” clock to school to show his teacher. Said teacher was alarmed (no pun intended) at the appearance of the clock and notified the “authorities”.
In what was perhaps an over reaction, Ahmed was arrested by the police, although the charges were dropped rather quickly. He was also suspended from school, also perhaps an over reaction. However, considering some of the things that have gone on in schools over the past several years, maybe it wasn’t. Not being there, I can’t say.
The media had no problem with immediately labeling the move racist and painting the people of Irving, TX as racist Red Necks. By extension the entire state was so labelled.
Former President Obama, never missing an opportunity to scold the American public used the incident to further his agenda and invited Ahmed to the White House to show off his clock. Which, it turned out, Ahmed didn’t build, but merely took out of its case and installed in a see through plastic box. Why he did this is to this day unexplained. No one has ever asked, and he has never said, what purpose he hoped to obtain by doing this.
In the aftermath of the event and surrounding publicity Ahmed and his family moved to Qatar, moved back to Texas, and then moved back to Qatar. They also filed a civil rights lawsuit in federal court in Texas.
The lawsuit was filed, dismissed, amended and refiled, amended again, and yesterday, dismissed again.
This time, it was dismissed “with prejudice”.
‘Clock boy’ Ahmed Mohamed’s lawsuit against Irving ISD, city dismissed
Here is the text of the Judge’s order,
The court issues this judgment pursuant to its Memorandum Opinion and Order, filed May
18, 2017; and its Memorandum Opinion and Order, filed earlier today. Accordingly, it is hereby ordered, adjudged, and decreed that Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed (“Plaintiff”), as next friend for A.M., a minor, take nothing against Defendants Irving Indepenent School District, Daniel Cummings, the City of Irving, Robin Howman, Charles Taylor, Jeff Mitchell, and Richie Miller (collectively, “Defendants”); that this action against Defendants is dismissed with prejudice; that all relief requested by Plaintiff is denied; and that all allowable and reasonable costs are taxed against Plaintiff.
Signed this 13th day of March, 2018.
Sam A. Lindsay
United States District Judge
This should end the saga of “Clock Boy”, but somehow I have the feeling it won’t.
If one were a cynic, one might think that this was all some sort of publicity stunt set up by Ahmed and his family to stir up people on social media and create a cause célèbre. To what end, mystifies me.
I wonder who the people of Irving, TX can sue to get their reputations back?
If they really thought it was a bomb, then why didn’t they evacuate the school or call the bomb squad immediately instead of waiting hours?
I think the dismissal is warranted, but I also think the school failed to handle it at all well. Not saying “racism” but also not dismissing it.
It doesn’t appear that they thought it was a bomb, but that it was designed to resemble a bomb. As such, I think the concern was about the reason for bringing the item to school in the first place. I don’t think that criminal charges were warranted, but that couldn’t be decided without looking at it. The whole thing seems to have been a publicity stunt by the kid, with or without other family members involvement.
Yep, publicity stunt, probably put up to it by family, figuring they could blackmail the ISD for $$$…