Glenn Beck and the Blaze agreed to settle the libel lawsuit brought by the family of Ahmed Mohamed, the so-called clock boy who was arrested in 2015 after bringing homemade clock to school. Mohamed, then 14 years old, was arrested because school authorities believed his clock was a bomb. But, the terms of the libel suit settlement aren’t disclosed, according to Law 360.
Beck’s show aired claims that Mohamed’s arrest was “a PR stunt.” Beck claimed the story was “a dog whistle” and suggested it was “important to the Islamists” for Mohamed to get arrested in his town. “It was a staged event where someone convinced this kid to bring a device he didn’t build, as you mentioned,” Beck’s guest Jim Hanson said.
Mike Grygiel, who represented Beck and the Blaze, told iMediaEthics by e-mail, “I respectfully decline to comment because the settlement agreement is confidential.”
Earlier this year, the Mohameds’ lawsuit was dismissed but the family appealed. The family is still appealing its case against two commentators, Jim Hanson and Ben Shapiro, legal news site Law360 reported. Shapiro claimed on Fox News that “this was a hoax, this was a setup and that President Obama fell for it because it confirms a couple of his pre-stated biases against police and against people who he perceives to be Islamphobic.”
Last year, Mohamed sued Beck, the Blaze and other commentators for their comments about him, as iMediaEthics reported.