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Death of Nex Benedict

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Nex Benedict
Born2008 (2008)
Died (aged 16)
Owasso, Oklahoma, U.S.

Nex Benedict (c. 2008 – February 8, 2024) was a 16-year-old non-binary American student who died after being attacked at their high school. Benedict, who had previously been bullied at school, was beaten by three older girls in the women's restroom at Owasso High School in Owasso, Oklahoma and died the following day.[1][2][3] As of February 2024, the cause of their death has not yet been established and an autopsy is still pending.[4][5]

Background

Nex Benedict was born in 2008 to a mother enrolled in the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.[3]

Death

According to Benedict, at Owasso High School, three older girls had been bullying them for a year prior to the incident – with the bullying taking the form of "calling names", "throwing things", and "beating them" because of their identity.[6][7] On the day of the altercation, the girls in question had been mocking Nex and their friends over their style of clothing.[8][9] In retaliation, while in the bathroom of Benedict's assigned sex per Oklahoma law, Benedict poured water on one of the three girls who had bullied them, leading to Benedict being retaliated against by the three girls.[10] During the altercation, Benedict sustained severe head injuries after being knocked to the ground and having their head repeatedly slammed into the floor.[7][11] According to Benedict's mother, Benedict had facial bruises near their eyes and scratches on the back of their head.[5][12][13]

Per school officials, the students involved were in the restroom for less than two minutes and the "physical altercation" was broken up by other students that were present in the restroom and a staff member who was supervising outside of the restroom.[14] According to reports by school officials all students “walked under their own power” to the nurse and then to the assistant principal's office after the altercation, where all involved were given a health assessment, gave statements, and contacted their parents according to the school district. School administration stated “out of an abundance of caution,” they advised an unnamed student's parent to take them to a medical facility for further evaluation.[15]

According to Benedict's grandmother, Sue Benedict, who had raised Benedict since the age of two months old and adopted them in 2022,[4] the school did not call an ambulance or the police, and instead ordered Benedict suspended for two weeks.[5] Sue took Benedict to a nearby hospital for treatment,[5] where she summoned the Owasso Police Department at around 3:30 p.m (CT).[1] There, the officer in question informed Benedict that should Benedict choose to file a report, both sides would be charged with assault, with Benedict being treated as the primary aggressor; and as such advised Benedict to not file a report.[6][16][17] Benedict was discharged later that day, and reportedly went to sleep with a sore head.[5]

The following day, on February 8, as Benedict was preparing to travel with their grandmother for an appointment, Benedict collapsed in the family's living room. An ambulance was called, and Benedict had stopped breathing by the time EMTs arrived.[5] Benedict was declared dead at the hospital that evening.[5]

Investigation

In a statement to The Advocate, Dan Yancy, Owasso Police Chief, said that "no report of the incident was made to the Owasso Police Department prior to the notification at the hospital."[4] Investigations by the Owasso Police Department to determine the events that led to Benedict's death are ongoing. As of February 21, 2024, police are awaiting toxicology and autopsy results from the local medical examiner's office before determining whether anyone will be charged.[5] Law enforcement conducted interviews with school staff and students with all findings sent to the Tulsa County District Attorney's Office.[14]

On February 21, a police department spokesperson said that hallway video from inside the school, showing Benedict before and after the incident, has been reviewed by investigators and will be released "at some point".[18] On February 23, the Owasso police released footage from school surveillance cameras, officer worn body cameras, and audio of the 911 calls made by Sue Benedict on February 7 and 8.[19][20]

The Owasso Police Department said that initial autopsy information showed that the death was not trauma-related,[21] though this is disputed. Nick Boatman, a spokesperson for the Owasso Police Department, said in a statement to Popular Information that the medical examiner had not explicitly said that the Benedict's death was unrelated to the head injuries.[8][22] The Benedict family is privately investigating the incident, also stating there were other facts not publicly available.[23]

Aftermath

In a letter to parents, Owasso Public Schools said it would be increasing the number of security personnel within the district, updating their safety drills and rules, and providing counseling services for students affected by the death.[24][25][26]

Reactions

Although Benedict's cause of death has not yet been determined to have been caused by the attack, at least one LGBTQ advocacy group, Freedom Oklahoma, has described the reported attack that preceded Benedict's death as a possible hate crime.[5][2] A hotline run by the Indianapolis-based Rainbow Youth Project was reported as receiving over 200 calls from Oklahoma in the weekend following Benedict's death, more than three times the usual amount, with many mentioning Benedict's death, and most reporting having been bullied themselves.[27]

Chuck Hoskin Jr., the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, spoke out about Benedict's death, “The facts relating to Nex’s death are not yet fully clear,” Hoskin said, adding: “The more we learn about Nex’s life, the more we come to know a wonderful child whose experience and identity mattered and was worth celebrating. Above all, Nex deserved to live a full life.”[15] Vice President Kamala Harris said that "her heart goes out to Nex Benedict's family" and that she stood with LGBTQ+ youth.[28]

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) issued a statement linking the attack on Benedict with Oklahoma Senate Bill 615, a law passed by the state legislature that required multi-occupation restrooms in public schools or public charter schools in Oklahoma to be for the exclusive use of either the male or the female sex, "as designated on individuals' original birth certificates".[29] LGBT activists and advocacy groups have linked the death to rhetoric spread by Chaya Raichik on her Libs of TikTok social media accounts, including an event prior to Benedict's attack in which a video featuring one of Benedict's teachers was shared by Raichik.[5][30][24] This came in the wake of Raichik's appointment to the Oklahoma Department of Education's Library Media Advisory Committee by Ryan Walters, the Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction, in January 2024.[5][30] Walters later defended Oklahoma's anti-LGBT policies in an interview with The New York Times regarding Benedict's death, saying: "There's not multiple genders. There's two. That's how God created us." He called their death "a tragedy" while accusing the "radical left" of exploiting Benedict for "political gain".[31]

During a Legislative Update panel in Tahlequah, Oklahoma on February 23, which consisted of four Republican state senators, an audience member asked why the Oklahoma Legislature has "such an obsession with the LGBTQ citizens of Oklahoma and what people do in their personal lives and how they raise their children," and linked Benedict's death to "50 bills targeting the LGBTQ community". Senator Tom Woods responded that his "heart goes out" in regards to Benedict's death, while asserting that Oklahoma is a "religious," "Christian," and "moral" state whose constituency "doesn't want that filth in Oklahoma". Michael Stopp, moderator of the forum and chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee, said that the death was "terrible" but claimed media coverage of it was "blown out of proportion".[32]

After city police claimed the death was not related to the altercation, multiple activists and groups called for an independent or federal investigation, including the Human Rights Campaign and House Minority Leader Ritchie Torres.[33]

References

  1. ^ a b Levesque, Brody (February 19, 2024). "Oklahoma non-binary high schooler dies after physical altercation". Los Angeles Blade. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Rest in power Nex Benedict". Freedom Oklahoma. February 19, 2024. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Agoyo, Acee (February 21, 2024). "Nex's death weighs heavily on the hearts of the Choctaw people". Indianz.Com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Wiggins, Christopher (February 20, 2024). "Oklahoma transgender student dies after assault at school". The Advocate. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Hurley, Bevan (February 20, 2024). "Oklahoma banned trans students from bathrooms. Now a bullied student is dead". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Owasso police release audio, video recordings from investigation into Nex Benedict's death". KJRH. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Hurley, Bevan (February 22, 2024). "Nex Benedict: Non-binary student who died after Oklahoma bathroom assault was a 'shining light'". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Hurley, Bevan (February 24, 2024). "Nex Benedict's mother blindsided by release of 911 call and body cam footage". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  9. ^ Goodman, J. David (February 24, 2024). "In Video, Nonbinary Student Describes Fight in Oklahoma School Bathroom". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  10. ^ Wiggins, Christopher (February 21, 2024). "What we know about Oklahoma nonbinary teen Nex Benedict's tragic death". The Advocate. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  11. ^ McMenamin, Lex (February 21, 2024). "Nex Benedict: Everything We Know About 16-Year-Old Oklahoma Student's Death". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  12. ^ Rajkumar, Shruti (February 21, 2024). "Bullied Transgender Teen Dies After Alleged Assault By Students In Oklahoma". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  13. ^ Rose, Andy (February 21, 2024). "Nex Benedict: Death of Oklahoma teen after fight in school has LGBTQ+ advocates seeking answers". CNN. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  14. ^ a b Alfonseca, Kiara (February 21, 2024). "Oklahoma death of nonbinary student Nex Benedict after in-school fight prompts calls for answers". ABC News. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Stelloh, Tim; Guevara, Sarah; Burke, Minyvonne (February 21, 2024). "Oklahoma student dies one day after fight in high school bathroom". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  16. ^ Wiggins, Christopher (February 23, 2024). "Watch alarming video of Nex Benedict explaining to police that they were bullied". The Advocate. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  17. ^ "Owasso police release audio, video recordings from investigation into Nex Benedict's death". 2 News Oklahoma. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024 – via YouTube.
  18. ^ Burke, Minyvonne; Stelloh, Tim; Yurcaba, Jo (February 21, 2024). "Authorities to release video from school where family of LGBTQ student said teen was attacked day before their death". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  19. ^ Asebes, John (February 23, 2024). "Owasso Police release body cam video, 911 call, leading up to student's death following fight in school bathroom". Fox24 News. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  20. ^ Ayer, Justin; Blake, Alexandra (February 23, 2024). "Owasso police release audio, video recordings from investigation into Nex Benedict's death". 2 News Oklahoma. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  21. ^ Wiggins, Christopher (February 21, 2024). "Oklahoma police say bullied nonbinary teen Nex Benedict 'did not die as a result of trauma'". The Advocate. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  22. ^ Legum, Judd (February 23, 2024). "Nex Benedict's mom raises doubts about police statements: It's a "big cover"". Popular Information. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  23. ^ Hurley, Bevan (February 23, 2024). "Nex Benedict's family will privately investigate bullied non-binary student's death after fight". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  24. ^ a b Shuttleworth, Catherine (February 20, 2024). "Thousands raised for non-binary teenager beaten to death at school". indy100. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  25. ^ "Owasso Public Schools addresses school safety measures". FOX23 News. February 16, 2024. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  26. ^ Villarreal, Daniel (February 20, 2024). "Teen beaten to death in a school bathroom bullying attack. The school didn't call an ambulance". LGBTQ Nation. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  27. ^ Hennessy-Fiske, Molly (February 21, 2024). "Soul-searching and recriminations after teen's death in Oklahoma". Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  28. ^ Billson, Chantelle (February 24, 2024). "Kamala Harris 'stands with' LGBTQ youth following death of non-binary teen Nex Benedict". PinkNews. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  29. ^ "Response to Death of Nex Benedict From Bridge v. Oklahoma State Board of Education Legal Team". American Civil Liberties Union. February 20, 2024. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  30. ^ a b Monteil, Abby (February 20, 2024). "Nonbinary Teen Nex Benedict Dies After Being Attacked By Peers in a School Bathroom". Them. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  31. ^ Billson, Chantelle (February 24, 2024). "Oklahoma education chief claims Nex Benedict's death being 'exploited' by 'radical leftists'". PinkNews. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  32. ^ Guthrie, Lee (February 23, 2024). "Senator calls LGBTQ+ people 'filth,' says most don't want them here". Tahlequah Daily Press. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  33. ^ Suter, Tara (February 23, 2024). "Torres calls for federal investigation into Nex Benedict's death". The Hill. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
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