The kid in trouble for bringing a clock to school

[mule_eer]

I was reading more about this story, the 14-year old boy who was questioned and booked for having a clock that he built at school. I have a couple of issues with how this was handled.

First, the school is claiming that they are looking out for the safety of the students. They are so vigilant in this endeavor that they fail to remove the device, the alleged perpetrator, or evacuate the school when faced with this potential threat.

My next issue is with the police. With the concern over a potential bomb, they also fail to evacuate the school or send in the bomb squad. They proceed to interogate a 14-year old without allowing him to speak to his parents or an attorney, with the school principal there to try to coerce him into some sort of signed statement.

This thing is a mess. I feel bad for the kid. I have no problem with the school looking out for the safety of the students, but I don't see how they did that. They obviously had to believe that this object was a clock, just as the boy stated from the start. They turned it into something way larger than it ever needed to be, and they are now in CYA mode.

 

[TarHeelEer]

I see this as not much different from pop tart gun or finger gun, 1 or 2.

 

[WhiteTailEER]

I see this as not much different from pop tart gun or finger gun, 1 or 2.

Were kids arrested for that?

 

[bornaneer]

Were kids arrested for that?

Given what we have seen in the past few years, what would you expect if person of middle eastern appearance entered a school with a contraption in a box that was beeping. Maybe the authorities overreacted after they found out it was only a clock,but thats a far cry from what would have happened if it was a bomb and killed people.

 

[WhiteTailEER]

Given what we have seen in the past few years, what would you expect if person of middle eastern appearance entered a school with a contraption in a box that was beeping. Maybe the authorities overreacted after they found out it was only a clock,but thats a far cry from what would have happened if it was a bomb and killed people.

I don't see what middle eastern appearance has anything to do with it regarding a school. (I'm not denying the acts of terrorism, but the incidents in schools haven't been that) To my knowledge none of the school incidents were anything but white American males.

Was it beeping? Because all I read was that it "looked suspicious" .... and also, it wasn't as if he randomly walked in with it, it was for a project. Also, where were the explosives?

 

[WVUCOOPER]

I was reading more about this story, the 14-year old boy who was questioned and booked for having a clock that he built at school. I have a couple of issues with how this was handled.

First, the school is claiming that they are looking out for the safety of the students. They are so vigilant in this endeavor that they fail to remove the device, the alleged perpetrator, or evacuate the school when faced with this potential threat.

My next issue is with the police. With the concern over a potential bomb, they also fail to evacuate the school or send in the bomb squad. They proceed to interogate a 14-year old without allowing him to speak to his parents or an attorney, with the school principal there to try to coerce him into some sort of signed statement.

This thing is a mess. I feel bad for the kid. I have no problem with the school looking out for the safety of the students, but I don't see how they did that. They obviously had to believe that this object was a clock, just as the boy stated from the start. They turned it into something way larger than it ever needed to be, and they are now in CYA mode.

WTF he bring it to school in the first place? Was it for school or just out of the blue? The grown ups did seem to really suck this up though.

 

[bornaneer]

I don't see what middle eastern appearance has anything to do with it regarding a school. (I'm not denying the acts of terrorism, but the incidents in schools haven't been that) To my knowledge none of the school incidents were anything but white American males.

Was it beeping? Because all I read was that it "looked suspicious" .... and also, it wasn't as if he randomly walked in with it, it was for a project. Also, where were the explosives?

Yes it beeped. You are trying to be PC about the middle eastern appearance, it's unfortunate but the fact has some validity. After the Boston marathon bombing do you actually think that authorities are NOT watching crowds for people of middle eastern appearance with packages.

 

[DvlDog4WVU]

I don't see what middle eastern appearance has anything to do with it regarding a school. (I'm not denying the acts of terrorism, but the incidents in schools haven't been that) To my knowledge none of the school incidents were anything but white American males.

Was it beeping? Because all I read was that it "looked suspicious" .... and also, it wasn't as if he randomly walked in with it, it was for a project. Also, where were the explosives?

Was he racially profiled? Absolutely. If my kid was in that school, I would be happy that someone was taking an overly aggressive stance to ensure kids are safe. I would rather be tagged a racist and be alive than be dead and labeled accepting.

 

[WhiteTailEER]

After the Boston marathon bombing do you actually think that authorities are NOT watching crowds for people of middle eastern appearance with packages.

I'm not being PC, I am categorizing the different incidents. So far, the terrorists have hit symbolic targets and obviously the Boston Marathon as you mentioned.

This isn't some random middle eastern looking person carrying electronics in a crowd. This is a kid that was a student at the school, and the school incidents haven't been carried out by middle eastern looking people, they have been carried out by white kids. I'm not talking about the college incidents. This is a 14 year old kid so he's a freshman in HS most likely.

Would there have been such a fuss over this if he wasn't middle eastern looking?

 

[Keyser76]

Lol, It was Irving, Texas, check out their mayor and her wacky Muslim fear mongering about sharia law. Gonna work out great for the kid though, gets to go to the White House and MIT already said that he is the type of kid they want.

 

[WhiteTailEER]

Was he racially profiled? Absolutely. If my kid was in that school, I would be happy that someone was taking an overly aggressive stance to ensure kids are safe. I would rather be tagged a racist and be alive than be dead and labeled accepting.

There is aggressive, which I have no issue with ... and overly aggressive, which I do. Where were the explosives?

 

[Keyser76]

Was he racially profiled? Absolutely. If my kid was in that school, I would be happy that someone was taking an overly aggressive stance to ensure kids are safe. I would rather be tagged a racist and be alive than be dead and labeled accepting.

I'm sure that was the reasoning behind the Japanese internment camps also. They didn't keep anyone safe, arrested the kid and left the "bomb".

 

[bornaneer]

I'm sure that was the reasoning behind the Japanese internment camps also. They didn't keep anyone safe, arrested the kid and left the "bomb".

Keyser, just wanted to clear something up. My comment about the your "deer are like rabbits" in the EP post was an attempt at humor. No flame was intended.

 

[Popeer]

Given what we have seen in the past few years, what would you expect if person of middle eastern appearance entered a school with a contraption in a box that was beeping. Maybe the authorities overreacted after they found out it was only a clock,but thats a far cry from what would have happened if it was a bomb and killed people.

Crikey. The kid took it out and showed them how it worked and explained why he'd brought it to school. They have no excuse other than paranoia and ignorance.

 

[bornaneer]

I'm not being PC, I am categorizing the different incidents. So far, the terrorists have hit symbolic targets and obviously the Boston Marathon as you mentioned.

This isn't some random middle eastern looking person carrying electronics in a crowd. This is a kid that was a student at the school, and the school incidents haven't been carried out by middle eastern looking people, they have been carried out by white kids. I'm not talking about the college incidents. This is a 14 year old kid so he's a freshman in HS most likely.

Would there have been such a fuss over this if he wasn't middle eastern looking?

No doubt, his middle eastern appearance did have an impact. But thats the world we live in. His age or school standing has no bearing on this. When ANYONE brings a package that beeps,his English teacher noticed the beeping, into a school it is going to arose suspicion.

 

[bornaneer]

Crikey. The kid took it out and showed them how it worked and explained why he'd brought it to school. They have no excuse other than paranoia and ignorance.

Yes, after they found out what it really was, they went to far.

 

[countryroads89_rivals]

Was he racially profiled? Absolutely. If my kid was in that school, I would be happy that someone was taking an overly aggressive stance to ensure kids are safe. I would rather be tagged a racist and be alive than be dead and labeled accepting.

And what if YOUR kid WAS the middle eastern kid targeted because of his skin color and questioned without your permission or an attorney present?

You right wingers just can't see anyone else's perspective.

 

[DvlDog4WVU]

I'm sure that was the reasoning behind the Japanese internment camps also. They didn't keep anyone safe, arrested the kid and left the "bomb".

Let me backup here for a second before you go and try make more illogical analogies. How the school handled it was dumb, as was the police. I was strictly talking about the initial racial profiling. The school saw something suspicious and acted on that. I am ok with that. Everything past that point, I agree it was handled terribly.

 

[DvlDog4WVU]

And what if YOUR kid WAS the middle eastern kid targeted because of his skin color and questioned without your permission or an attorney present?

You right wingers just can't see anyone else's perspective.

First of all, if I was a Muslim, I would be decrying everything bastardising my religion. I would be the poster child for what American's want to see from Muslims. Secondly, as I just replied, I'm ok with the initial response and acting on the suspicion. Beyond that, I agree it was handled terribly.

 

[bornaneer]

And what if YOUR kid WAS the middle eastern kid targeted because of his skin color and questioned without your permission or an attorney present?

You right wingers just can't see anyone else's perspective.

Idiot

 

[bornaneer]

First of all, if I was a Muslim, I would be decrying everything bastardising my religion. I would be the poster child for what American's want to see from Muslims. Secondly, as I just replied, I'm ok with the initial response and acting on the suspicion. Beyond that, I agree it was handled terribly.

You are wasting your time. You cannot reason with some of the idiots on this board.

 

[countryroads89_rivals]

Idiot

There it is! LOL!

 

[Keyser76]

You are wasting your time. You cannot reason with some of the idiots on this board.

Not really, his post made sense.

 

[Mntneer]

I applaud the kid for building something like that. However, if he didn't have prior permission to bring it to school then he should have sought it. Putting the kid in cuffs, absurd. Examination of the "device" would have shown it was not explosive, even though it was a jumble of wires and IC's.

School systems in general have been over-reacting to all sorts of incidents, such as the kids making a gun out of pop-tart, and need to go back to applying common sense to each case individually.

 

[WhiteTailEER]

The school saw something suspicious and acted on that. I am ok with that. Everything past that point, I agree it was handled terribly.

That is my stance ... the line between aggressive and overly aggressive. This went way too far.

 

[WhiteTailEER]

No doubt, his middle eastern appearance did have an impact. But thats the world we live in. His age or school standing has no bearing on this. When ANYONE brings a package that beeps,his English teacher noticed the beeping, into a school it is going to arose suspicion.

I have absolutely NO issue with that.
Things went too far after the suspicion was raised though, and that's where my issue is.

 

[TarHeelEer]

That is my stance ... the line between aggressive and overly aggressive. This went way too far.

I find it absolutely hilarious that everyone is blaming this on overreaction by the school, when this is what has been preached for 15 years at a national level. See something say something!

The school/police didn't know he had shown it to his teacher, and thought it could be parts to a bomb. Given those circumstances, I'm not happy with their actions. They didn't go far enough. The fracking school needed locked down and bomb squadded until they knew exactly what they had. Poor Mohamed getting arrested? Better than the school getting blown up.

 

[mule_eer]

Was he racially profiled? Absolutely. If my kid was in that school, I would be happy that someone was taking an overly aggressive stance to ensure kids are safe. I would rather be tagged a racist and be alive than be dead and labeled accepting.

The point is that they didn't take actions to make anyone safer. The kid, device, and all other students were in that school right up to the time he was hauled off in cuffs. That's not making anyone safer. It certainly isn't following protocols for a suspicious object.

 

[WhiteTailEER]

I find it absolutely hilarious that everyone is blaming this on overreaction by the school, when this is what has been preached for 15 years at a national level. See something say something!

The school/police didn't know he had shown it to his teacher, and thought it could be parts to a bomb. Given those circumstances, I'm not happy with their actions. They didn't go far enough. The fracking school needed locked down and bomb squadded until they knew exactly what they had. Poor Mohamed getting arrested? Better than the school getting blown up.

They didn't go far enough???
Arrested, detained and questioned without parents or lawyer, suspended from school for 3 days ... for what?

Must suck going through life so paranoid. Trick or treat must be hell for you.

 

[countryroads89_rivals]

Poor Mohamed getting arrested? Better than the school getting blown up.

The school didn't get blown up, it was a fvcking clock. He's a 14 year old kid that wears glasses, is intelligent and known by his peers and teachers, that was arrested and questioned without his parents being present. I swear, some of you have lost your freaking mind. Step back for a second and look at what you are saying. I really don't like what America (parts of it) is becoming.

 

[TarHeelEer]

The school didn't get blown up, it was a fvcking clock. He's a 14 year old kid that wears glasses, is intelligent and known by his peers and teachers, that was arrested and questioned without his parents being present. I swear, some of you have lost your freaking mind. Step back for a second and look at what you are saying. I really don't like what America (parts of it) is becoming.

Everyone must be kept safe 24 X 7. That is what our society wants.

 

[WhiteTailEER]

Everyone must be kept safe 24 X 7. That is what our society wants.

Apparently the only way to do that is to make sure no 14 year old kids are allowed to know what time it is.

 

[DvlDog4WVU]

Apparently the only way to do that is to make sure no 14 year old kids are allowed to know what time it is.

I chortled.

 

[Keyser76]

You can ride through a chick fil a drive thru with an AK47 in Irving and nobody would blink an eye if you were a white guy. But a kid named Mohammed with a "device" ? Cuff him Dano! Ending well for the kid though, Nerds rule!

 

[wvu2007]

Look at who the kid's father is and tell me this wasn't planned. Ex: BalloonBoy and his dad. Also, he did not explain why he brought it to school. When questioned he only said it was a clock. What he brought in doesn't look like an everyday clock, the school administrators had every right to take caution.

 

[DvlDog4WVU]

Look at who the kid's father is and tell me this wasn't planned. Ex: BalloonBoy and his dad. Also, he did not explain why he brought it to school. When questioned he only said it was a clock. What he brought in doesn't look like an everyday clock, the school administrators had every right to take caution.

Investigate yes. I don't think anyone has issue with that. It's what happened after that that everyone has a problem with.

 

[Popeer]

Look at who the kid's father is and tell me this wasn't planned. Ex: BalloonBoy and his dad. Also, he did not explain why he brought it to school. When questioned he only said it was a clock. What he brought in doesn't look like an everyday clock, the school administrators had every right to take caution.

Bullsh*t. He did explain why he brought it. His science/engineering teacher knew he was working on it even though it wasn't an assignment. If the stupid sh*t kickers really thought it was a bomb why didn't they evacuate the school and call the bomb squad? If they couldn't see it wasn't a bomb I'd never bother asking them what time it is.

 

[WhiteTailEER]

Look at who the kid's father is and tell me this wasn't planned. Ex: BalloonBoy and his dad. Also, he did not explain why he brought it to school. When questioned he only said it was a clock. What he brought in doesn't look like an everyday clock, the school administrators had every right to take caution.

Wow.

1) He did explain why he brought it to school, to show it to his science teacher
2) "he only said it was a clock" ... What the hell was he supposed to say when it was a clock? They asked him what it was, and he said it was a clock because it's a clock. Holy cow.
3) Of course it doesn't look like an everyday clock because everyday clocks are made in factories. This was something he put together with Radio Shack parts in his bedroom

 

[countryroads89_rivals]

 

[wvu2007]

Bullsh*t. He did explain why he brought it. His science/engineering teacher knew he was working on it even though it wasn't an assignment. If the stupid sh*t kickers really thought it was a bomb why didn't they evacuate the school and call the bomb squad? If they couldn't see it wasn't a bomb I'd never bother asking them what time it is.

Officers said Ahmed was being "passive aggressive" in his answers to their questions, and didn't have a "reasonable answer" as to what he was doing with the case. Investigators said the student told them that it was just a clock that he was messing around with.

"We attempted to question the juvenile about what it was and he would simply only say it was a clock. He didn't offer any explanation as to what it was for, why he created this device, why he brought it to school," said James McLellan, Irving Police.

Police confiscated the case along with Ahmed's tablet computer.