House lawmakers demand federal investigation into Muslim teen’s arrest
A group of 26 House lawmakers is asking Attorney General Loretta Lynch to launch a federal investigation into the case of a Muslim teenager who was arrested in Texas after a homemade clock he brought to school was mistaken for a bomb.
“Profiling and mistreatment of an individual based on presumed or actual faith or ethnicity has no place in the world, let alone in the United States of America,” wrote Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) in a letter Wednesday.
{mosads}“From presidential candidates to teachers and police officers, we all must take a strong unified stand against this seemingly growing trend of fear-mongering and bigotry being wrongly perpetrated in our society,” Honda added.
“Ahmed’s story is heartbreaking,” wrote Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), referring to 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed. “His experience reminds us what minority communities experience every day. While America strives for justice for all, we often fall short.”
Mohamed’s arrest sparked national outrage on social media.
His family, meantime, is now suing to reclaim the device, according to a new report.
NBC News reported on Wednesday that Mohamed’s parents are working with two Dallas lawyers to “pursue Ahmed’s legal rights and regain his science project from the Irving Police Department.”
It added that the Mohameds said their son was “severely traumatized” by the incident and hope a lawsuit prevents similar discriminatory behavior.
The Mohamed family announced on Tuesday that it is removing Ahmed Mohamed, who was suspended for three days, and his siblings from the Irving School District.
President Obama has invited Ahmed Mohamed to the White House, while multiple technology companies have also expressed solidarity with the teen.
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