The law firm representing the 14-year-old stated that they have sent letters requesting $10 million from the city of Irving and $5 million from the Irving Independent School District over the incident. The letters also demand written apologies and threaten further lawsuits, CBS News reported.
“As American citizens, all of us — even the ones with ‘Muslim-sounding’ names like Ahmed Mohamed — are entitled to have public officials with whom we come in contact to respect our rights,” a letter addressed to Mohamed’s former school district states.
The teen was suspended from school in September when he brought a homemade clock to school to impress his teachers and it was mistaken for a bomb. Mohamed was arrested, but not charged, he was also suspended from school.
“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,” the letter continued.
His attorneys have stated that he suffered “severe psychological trauma” from the events and that his “reputation in the global community is permanently scarred.”
Following the incident, he was personally invited by President Barack Obama to visit the White House, flooded with gifts and praise from companies such as Microsoft, and reached out to by Mark Zuckerberg to visit Facebook.
The day after the Mohamed family attended the White House, they announced that they are leaving the US for Qatar.
“If you fail to comply with the above demands within 60 days from the date of this letter, you should expect that we will file a civil action addressing the causes of action and events described in this letter,” one of the letters concluded.
