The family of a Texas teenager, arrested for bringing a homemade clock to school that was mistaken for a bomb, demanded Us$ 15 million in damages and an apology from the city of Irving and its schools to avoid a lawsuit, lawyers said on Monday.
The lawyers represent the family of Ahmed Mohamed, 14, a Muslim student who dabbles in robotics and attended a Dallas-area high school. His arrest in September sparked controversy, with many saying he was taken into custody because of his religion.
So let us get this straight, the kid does something every person on this thread could do, put a different case around a clock. Takes it to school as a faux invention, even after being told on previous occasions not to bring those items to school, (yes this was not a one time, first time thing) and gets arrested for having an item that looks like a bomb, (which in today's society and school climate would be expected) (and don't even say it does not look like a bomb, it sure doesn't look like a clock.) and then get s honored by the US, made a celebrity, and now thinks he deserves US$ 15M.
Even though everything that occurred was justified, and IMO if the same thing happened again, the same result (arrest) should happen again. It has been verified that the Dad was seeking publicity and a confrontation from the beginning. If anything they should have to pay the US back for the tax payer resources it took to get them to Washington etc.
The American system is a JOKE if they get this money. Counter-suit should be in line to cover the costs it will now cost the tax payers to defend this asinine lawsuit.
In separate letters to the city of Irving, located west of Dallas, and the Irving Independent School District, lawyers said the ninth grader was wrongfully arrested, illegally detained and questioned without his parents.
The Mohamed family is asking for US$ 10 million from the city and US$ 5 million from the school district or they will file civil lawsuits within 60 days, the letter said.
"Understandably, Mr. Mohamed was furious at the treatment of his son – and at the rancid, openly discriminatory intent that motivated it," attorneys said in one of the letters.
City and school district officials were not immediately available for comment.
The boy's family said in October that they would be moving to Qatar and he had accepted an offer from the Qatar Foundation to study at its Young Innovators Program. The announcement came a few hours after he was at the White House for an astronomy night hosted by President Barack Obama.
Ahmed won support from Obama and other major U.S. figures, including Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, who said "having the skill and ambition to build something cool should lead to applause, not arrest."
The family, now living in Doha, has also traveled the globe to meet foreign dignitaries.
Sudanese state radio reported that his father took him to meet Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. The Sudanese leader is accused by the International Criminal Court of masterminding genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes during Sudan's Darfur conflict.
Despite several television appearances and worldwide travel, the Mohamed family insists the attention actually ruined their lives and eventually drove them out of the country, lawyers said.
The lawyers represent the family of Ahmed Mohamed, 14, a Muslim student who dabbles in robotics and attended a Dallas-area high school. His arrest in September sparked controversy, with many saying he was taken into custody because of his religion.
So let us get this straight, the kid does something every person on this thread could do, put a different case around a clock. Takes it to school as a faux invention, even after being told on previous occasions not to bring those items to school, (yes this was not a one time, first time thing) and gets arrested for having an item that looks like a bomb, (which in today's society and school climate would be expected) (and don't even say it does not look like a bomb, it sure doesn't look like a clock.) and then get s honored by the US, made a celebrity, and now thinks he deserves US$ 15M.
Even though everything that occurred was justified, and IMO if the same thing happened again, the same result (arrest) should happen again. It has been verified that the Dad was seeking publicity and a confrontation from the beginning. If anything they should have to pay the US back for the tax payer resources it took to get them to Washington etc.
The American system is a JOKE if they get this money. Counter-suit should be in line to cover the costs it will now cost the tax payers to defend this asinine lawsuit.
In separate letters to the city of Irving, located west of Dallas, and the Irving Independent School District, lawyers said the ninth grader was wrongfully arrested, illegally detained and questioned without his parents.
The Mohamed family is asking for US$ 10 million from the city and US$ 5 million from the school district or they will file civil lawsuits within 60 days, the letter said.
"Understandably, Mr. Mohamed was furious at the treatment of his son – and at the rancid, openly discriminatory intent that motivated it," attorneys said in one of the letters.
City and school district officials were not immediately available for comment.
The boy's family said in October that they would be moving to Qatar and he had accepted an offer from the Qatar Foundation to study at its Young Innovators Program. The announcement came a few hours after he was at the White House for an astronomy night hosted by President Barack Obama.
Ahmed won support from Obama and other major U.S. figures, including Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, who said "having the skill and ambition to build something cool should lead to applause, not arrest."
The family, now living in Doha, has also traveled the globe to meet foreign dignitaries.
Sudanese state radio reported that his father took him to meet Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. The Sudanese leader is accused by the International Criminal Court of masterminding genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes during Sudan's Darfur conflict.
Despite several television appearances and worldwide travel, the Mohamed family insists the attention actually ruined their lives and eventually drove them out of the country, lawyers said.