The principal of MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas, defended calling police on a Muslim teenager who brought a homemade clock to school. “While we do not have any threats to our school community, we want you to be aware that the Irving Police Department responded to a suspicious-looking item on campus yesterday,” Daniel Cummings wrote in a letter to parents. “Please rest assured that we will always take necessary steps to keep our school as safe as possible.” He urged parents to talk to students about not bringing prohibited items to school. The student, Ahmed Mohamed, reportedly only referred to the object as a clock and said that Cummings threatened to expel him if he didn’t make a written statement. Mohamed has been suspended for three days.
