Family of 'clock kid' seeks $15M in damages

Ahmed's family wants $15,000,000

The family of Ahmed Mohamed, the teenager arrested after bringing a homemade clock to school in September, is demanding $15 million and several apologies, their lawyers announced Monday.

An attorney for the family wrote in letters published by the Dallas Morning News that they want $10 million in damages from the city of Irving, Texas, and $5 million from the local school district.

"Ahmed's reputation in the global community is permanently scarred," read both letters to Texas officials, which were sent Monday and elaborated on details from the incident.

As many as seven adults interrogated the 14-year-old, who was pressured to sign a statement saying he intended to bring a "hoax bomb" to the school, according to the letters, which threaten a civil lawsuit if their demands are not met.

The family has also asked for a written apology from the city's mayor and police chief for the incident, which drew international headlines and an outpouring of sympathy on social media.

Ahmed, who has relocated to Qatar with his family after accepting a scholarship, visited the White House last month for an astronomy event where he briefly met President Obama.

The family's attorney said Monday in one of the letters that the family is living in Qatar "for personal security reasons" but wants relocate back to Texas "when they feel safe again."

I'm bettng that no one is actual surprised by this. I remember there were rumors from the get go that this was a set up. One picture I clearly recall is him and his family taking a selfie with ear to ear grins with a caption of "going to see our lawyer! "

Maybe he can write a book too.... "How to play victim for maximum profits".

Good riddance.

Ghost

He is now a true american, suing someone is a national sport down south.

a reply to: ghostrager

How was his "reputation scarred"? If anything all of this publicity made him a non-deserving "hero".

I thought this little twerp was moving to Oman or something now anyway? So are they going to sue and try to get that $10-15 million and then just up and leave? I don't think so buddy...

a reply to: ghostrager

I'm bettng that no one is actual surprised by this.

I certainly am not surprised.
Seemed like it was in the plan... but that is just me being cynical... right?

Oh, just think what fancy 'clocks' he can design with 15 million dollars!

Ha, and I'm a douche?

a reply to: ghostrager

$15 million??? Really? So $15 million will fix all his issues and his mental "stress" ?

Jesus. That's pathetic.

a reply to: ghostrager

These people are scam artists. How classless. I hope they get jack.

Before I start this post,please be aware that I think 15 million is absolutely out of the question.

However,
There is still the matter of juvenile law and civil rights that need to be explored. Not because of the bomb investigation itself, but because Ahmed was denied having his parents present until he was released, and it appears to be a clear violation of Texas family law.

Mohamed, a freshman at MacArthur High School, insists he repeatedly asked officers to call his parents while being interrogated. Mohamed was questioned at the school, then taken in handcuffs to a juvenile detention center, where he was fingerprinted and interrogated without his parents present, according to police and Mohamed. Texas Family Code is clear this was not supposed to happen. “A child may not be left unattended in a juvenile processing office and is entitled to be accompanied by the child’s parent, guardian, or other custodian or by the child’s attorney,” Section 52.025 (PDF) states. Mohamed did not see his parents until he was released from a juvenile detention center, according to police and his family. Furthermore, a “person taking a child into custody shall promptly give notice of the person’s action and a statement of the reason for taking the child into custody, to the child’s parent, guardian, or custodian.”
Irving Police Chief Larry Boyd said he did “not have answers to [that] specific question” when reporters asked him Wednesday why Mohamed was not allowed to speak to his parents.
The executive director of the Texas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said that answer is not good enough. “Once they’re being questioned, they have a right to refuse answering,” Terri Burke told The Daily Beast. “And, unless it’s something like a traffic violation, [police] immediately need to release the child to their parents.” At the very least, Mohamed should have been able to speak with his parents. “If a child seeks to have a short conference with his parents, [the police] cannot deny them that. He has a right to talk to them. Kids don’t lose their rights because they’re kids or because they live in Texas.”

Just one link, but many sources do exist

So before the band wagon starts to take this post out of context, again I say that the 15 million is a no go.
However, an investigation and possible damages need to be considered if the above context is true.

a reply to: ghostrager

Yea no. I'm all for an apology from the police chief but not much more.

1. It's a ludicrous sum of money for any actual damages that may have been incurred.
2. We have to be very careful as a society that we're compensating and not incentivizing.

c'mon....anybody can sue anybody else, and ask for as much as they want....what they get is another story, which isn't told.

a reply to: dukeofjive696969

That's exactly what I said to a coworker.

A million bucks for every minute of fame.

That family is terrible. I had a sneaking suspicion the story was going to change, and it sure has.

a reply to: ghostrager

Im on the kids side. He was arrested for no reason. That being said. 15 million is quite a bit of money, almost too much.

Im sure they will settle.

And as far as the selfie thing goes.. I would have done that too if i was falsely arrested and bashed nation wide on all forms of media. I would be skipping all the way to the lawyers office.

I hope he wins

originally posted by: theantediluvian
a reply to: ghostrager
2. We have to be very careful as a society that we're compensating and not incentivizing.

That shipped sailed about 14,999,999 dollars ago.

Compensation died back in the 80's, now it's just another arm of the state lottery.

I thought this little puke and his family were packing up the clock making shop and heading for the bright lights of Qatar???
Is that not happening any more? Or are they rustling up some spending Qatari riyal first>?

a reply to: FamCore

I wonder where he came up with suing for 15 million? I doubt his reputation isn't anywhere near 15 million! I think his reputation is worst now that the public knows his family is trying to get a payday out of it.

I don't think we should be shaming the kid. It's the adults who truley should know better and are driving this for the $$. His parents need to be shamed and then also the lawyers for taking this on. Lawyers will say it's their job. Bull#...you're taking it for the money just as much as they are.

This family deserves nothing. In this day and age you can't make # like that.

Isn't Texas now a "loser pays" state? Gonna laugh if it is and they lose case. Just desserts IMO.

a reply to: HawkeyeNation

the kid brought a fake bomb to school for the lolz....then tried playing the race/religion card....yes, he totally deserves shaming.

When I was 14, I had to publicly apologise to the entire school for hosing down a class room with a fire extinguisher (not to mention I got my ass kicked by my dad), guess what? I never did anything like that again.