What would cause the magnet to make the Macbook go to sleep? Is this something that was intended for when the Macbook was put in a special case to cause it to sleep?
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013), iOS 8.4
When you close the lid of a MBP, magnets hold it closed and the OSX then puts it to sleep (if you have not turned it off). Place a magnet in the right spot and you fool the OSX to think that the lid has been closed, hence puts the MBP to sleep.
Ciao.
You already found the answer:
Magnets in devices might cause your Mac notebook computer to sleep - Apple Support
Why does a magnet cause the Macbook to sleep?
