Ahmed Mohamed seeking $15 million in damages

Ahmed Mohamed, 14, was detained after police said a suspicious device was found inside his pencil box at MacArthur High School. Photo courtesy of USA Today

Jordan Armstrong 

USA TODAY Network

IRVING, Texas — Attorneys for the family of Ahmed Mohamed, the Irving high school student who made headlines after being arrested for bringing a homemade clock to school, have sent letters to the city of Irving and the Irving School District demanding apologies and $15 million in damages.

Both letters claim that Mohamed’s civil rights were violated, and he and his family have suffered physical and mental anguish because of the ordeal.

The letters claim Ahmed was singled out “because of his race, national origin, and religion.”

“Ahmed never threatened anyone, never caused harm to anyone, and never intended to,” read the letter to the city. “The only one who was hurt that day was Ahmed, and the damages he suffered were not because of oversight or incompetence. The school and city officials involved knew what they needed to do to protect Ahmed’s rights. They just decided not to do it.”

The letters demand $10 million be paid to the family by the city of Irving, and $5 million from the school district.

The family also wants written apologies from Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne, “acknowledging that she has never been presented with any evidence that Ahmed was a ‘pawn’ in any ‘civilization jihad’ or that the events here were planned by Ahmed’s family or friends as part of an ‘influence operation.’”

They also want apologies from the school district, as well as Police Chief Larry Boyd, saying Mohamed “never intended to threaten anyone, and that his detention, interrogation and arrest were wrongful and were made at a point in time when there was no reasonable suspicion to believe that Ahmed had committed a crime or was about to commit any crime.”

The family’s attorney ends the letters by saying civil action will be filed if the demands are not met within 60 days.

Editor’s note: Jordan Armstrong writes for WFAA-TV (Dallas-Fort Worth.)