Parts of a defamation lawsuit filed on behalf of a teenage Muslim student who brought a suspicious-looking clock to a North Texas classroom have been dismissed, NBC 5 has learned.
The family of Ahmed Mohamed, the 14-year-old boy who was arrested and charged with possessing a hoax bomb after bringing a homemade clock to Irving MacArthur High School, filed a federal lawsuit last summer against Texas school officials and others alleging they violated the teen's civil rights.
The incident turned Mohamed into an international celebrity of sorts and he was even invited to the White House for Astronomy Night.
The criminal charge was eventually dropped but the family filed several lawsuits, one claiming defamation.
NBC 5 learned Tuesday that the suits against several media outlets, including The Blaze, FOX television stations, Jim Hanson, The Center for Security Policy and Glenn Beck have been dismissed.
Defamation cases are still pending against Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne, Ben Ferguson, Ben Shapiro and NW Communications of Texas and are scheduled a final dismissal hearing on Jan. 30.
Civil rights suits filed against the Irving Independent School District, the school's principal and the city of Irving are also pending.
