I've had similar things happen to me for dicking about with electronics and I'm as white as you can get.
For reference, this happened in a small town in Washington state and I am 22 years old.
I had my desk and backpack searched in grade school because some kids reported me to the principal for talking about fireworks ("Bombs" to them, It was July anyways) and told him I was looking up bombs on the computers (Electromagnets are apparently bombs). Of course I had random PCBs from shit I took apart in my backpack and that was damning enough evidence to call my parents and suspend me for a week (For "Disrupting the learning environment, a copout term when you piss off school administration but technically didn't break any rules). Cops were threatened but weren't called.
But you weren't arrested, handcuffed, taken to a police station and questioned without your parents present were you? Threatening to "call the cops" to scare a kid for perceived misbehaviour is common as stink and also happened to me a few times in school. This is something completely different.
The issue is not school zero tolerance policies that result in school suspensions, the issue is the arrest, handcuffing and interrogation without parents or lawyer present of a 14 year old kid for what was clearly a harmless clock. (even if it could be mistaken for a fake bomb).
It's not racism really - but it is fear of Muslims and a police state run amok.
I can understand where the fear comes from. With the constant propaganda how is the average person to make the distinction?
Not only have we created the terrorists by our constant bombing and killing in their countries but we have been doing their job for them by spreading fear and mistrust and letting it be used by those who would take advantage of our fear to trample our constitution and civil liberties. Goebbels would be proud.
It's ironic and frightening that those in this country who tend to so vocally espouse their patriotism are so often quick to abandon its founding principles and embrace the police state as long as it is serving their needs and assuaging their fears.