Ahmed Mohamed, the 14-year-old so-called “clock kid” who made headlines after being arrested for bringing a clock disassembled and enclosed in a pencil box to his Texas school, is seeking $15 million in damages and written apologies from the Irving, Texas, mayor and police chief.
A “letter of demand” sent to Mohamed’s former school and city officials by his lawyers—Laney & Bollinger of Plainview, Texas—warns that they will be seeking $15 million and written apologies from Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne and Police Chief Larry Boyd for their handling of the situation.
“Ahmed clearly was singled out because of his race, national origin, and religion,” the letter says. “Let’s face it; if Ahmed’s clock were ‘Jennifer’s clock,’ and if the pencil case were ruby red bedazzled with a clear rhinestone skull and crossbones on the cover, this would never have happened.”
Mohamed’s family moved to Qatar after the incident.
“Qatar is nice, but it is not Texas. That is their attitude toward this,” Mohamed’s lawyer kelly Hollingsworth told The Washington Post. “They are citizens of Irving, Texas, USA, first. Are they devout people devoted to their faith? Absolutely. But they are Texans, too, and they want to come home. What we are seeking is for them to be able to do that with their heads held high.”
