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File this one under ‘shameful episodes in public education’.
On Monday, Ahmed Mohamed was arrested at McArthur High School in Irving, Texas after teachers discovered that he had brought a homemade digital clock to school. Mohamed, who is 14 and has expressed interest in becoming an engineer, has said that he brought the device to school because he was excited to show it to a teacher.
Administrators at the school, fearing that the student had arrived with a bomb or ‘hoax bomb’, notified local law enforcement. According to Irving Police Department, Mohamed was questioned and taken into custody for possession of a hoax bomb.
Ahmed Mohamed was brought to a juvenile processing center before being released to his parents, pending further investigation by the Irving Police Department.
Thousands took to Twitter to defend Ahmed Mohamed this morning under the banner of the hashtag #IstandwithAhmed, including some big names. Here are our favorites:
Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It’s what makes America great.
— President Obama (@POTUS) September 16, 2015
DIY project of the day: “How to Make Your Own Homemade Clock that isn’t a Bomb” http://t.co/v71zx4nqai #IStandWithAhmed — Arianna Huffington (@ariannahuff) September 16, 2015
British appear to have developed some sort of giant bomb, attached to a rocket. via @DangerGuerrero #IStandWithAhmed pic.twitter.com/cdRvqgUXcj
— Josie Ensor (@Josiensor) September 16, 2015
Sometimes it takes a boy getting arrested for taking a clock into school to tell the world what time it is. #IStandWithAhmed — Tor (@TorianVh1) September 16, 2015
Irving Police Department issued a statement today saying, “the follow-up investigation revealed the device apparently was a homemade experiment,” and “there’s no evidence to support the perception he intended to create alarm.” All charges brought against Ahmed Mohamed have been dropped.
