▁of ▁The ▁Guardian ▁stated , ▁" The ▁incident ▁caused ▁international ▁out rage , ▁with ▁critics ▁claim ing ▁such ▁dr astic ▁treatment ▁would ▁never ▁have ▁occurred ▁had ▁the ▁te en ager ▁not ▁been ▁Muslim ." ▁Writing ▁in ▁The ▁Texas ▁Ob server , ▁Patrick ▁Mich els ▁said ▁the ▁Ir ving ▁school ▁district ▁has ▁a ▁history ▁of ▁over ly - p un itive ▁criminal ization ▁of ▁child hood ▁behavior ▁and ▁similarly ▁called ▁the ▁arrest ▁an ▁example ▁of ▁" school - to - pr ison " ▁thinking . ▁" A ▁child ▁lear ns ▁in ▁school ▁that ▁he ' s ▁a ▁criminal , ▁and ▁he ▁rem embers ▁that ▁less on ▁for ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁his ▁life ", ▁Mich els ▁wrote . ▁ ▁Wall ▁Street ▁Journal ▁comment ator ▁James ▁Tar anto ▁said ▁he ▁bel ieves ▁what ▁happened ▁to ▁Moh amed ▁is ▁not ▁un common ; ▁he ▁points ▁to ▁a ▁similar ▁story ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁in ▁New ▁Jersey , ▁in ▁which ▁Jason ▁An agn os , ▁a ▁nine - year - old ▁non - Mus lim ▁boy , ▁was ▁arrested , ▁charged ▁and ▁conv icted ▁for ▁having ▁brought ▁a ▁fake ▁bomb ▁along ▁on ▁a ▁gift ed - and - tal ented ▁class ▁field ▁trip . ▁K yle ▁Smith ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Post ▁brought ▁up ▁other ▁cases ▁of ▁schools ▁being ▁over ze alous ▁in ▁pun ishing ▁white ▁children ▁for ▁safety ▁bre aches , ▁including ▁a ▁ 7 - year - old ▁who ▁pret ended ▁that ▁his ▁pop ▁tart ▁was ▁a ▁gun ▁and ▁a ▁South ▁Carolina ▁te en