Irving ISD Praises Teacher Who Took Away Clock
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IRVING (CBSDFW.COM) - The Irving Independent School District is praising a teacher for her actions when taking away Ahmed Mohamed's homemade clock earlier this week. Meanwhile, a group plans to gather in prayer Thursday night, as many people look to the teen's arrest as a way to bridge the community.
School district officials said that they cannot comment on the specifics of the case involving Macarthur High School freshman Mohamed, due to privacy reasons. However, a spokeswoman for the district said that they support his English teacher's action when she confiscated the 14-year-old's homemade clock on Monday, believing that it could be a hoax bomb.
The incident led to the teen's arrest and suspension from classes.
"A teacher heard beeping in her classroom, and then this device was brought to her. So, what she saw was a case with exposed wires and a timer attached to it," said Lesley Weaver, director of communications for the Irving ISD. "She did the right thing. She followed the correct procedures. She involved the school resource officer and school administrators."
When asked if Mohamed was profiled for either his race or religion, Weaver maintained that the school teacher reacted to the unusual device -- not the student -- and truly believed that it could have been a safety concern.
Police dropped charges against Mohamed, but he is still serving his three-day suspension from classes. He plans to be back in school on Friday, but said that he wants to eventually transfer to another campus.
Meanwhile, a prayer vigil will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday night in front of Macarthur High School. The event is being hosted by both Christian and Muslim leaders, who will pray for an end to 'Islamophobia.'
