Okla. nonbinary teen died after school fight amid reported bullying
The confirmed information from Owasso, Okla., is that a 16-year-old named Nex Benedict has passed away. Nex collapsed the day after an altercation in a girls’ bathroom at the public high school they attended. Relatives of Nex have stated that the 10th-grader, who used they/them pronouns, had been a target of bullying for being nonbinary.
While it’s uncertain whether Nex’s death directly resulted from injuries sustained in the altercation, LGBTQ+ advocacy group Freedom Oklahoma declared it a result of being the target of physical and emotional harm due to their identity.
Owasso, a Tulsa suburb in Oklahoma, is in a conservative state where LGBTQ+ issues have been contentious. In the past year, Governor Kevin Stitt signed an executive order defining an individual’s sex as the “biological sex” assigned at birth, and laws were enacted requiring students to use bathrooms corresponding to their assigned sex at birth. Additionally, restrictions on gender-affirming care for transgender youths were implemented.
In the current year, Oklahoma legislators have proposed over 50 anti-LGBTQ+ laws, making it the state with the highest number of such proposals, according to the ACLU. Superintendent Ryan Walters, who oversees public education in the state, has been critical of LGBTQ+ rights and appointed Chaya Raichik, a conservative activist known for targeting LGBTQ-friendly teachers at Owasso schools, to a state library advisory board.
Governor Stitt expressed condolences to Nex’s family, classmates, and the Owasso community, emphasizing the tragedy of any child’s death in an Oklahoma school and calling for accountability for bullies.
The fight at the high school on February 7 involved multiple students and was broken up by other students and a staff member, according to a statement from the school district. All involved parties were able to walk to the assistant principal’s office and nurse’s office, where they were evaluated by the nurse following district protocols. Despite the severity of Nex’s injuries, an ambulance or police were not summoned, though one parent was advised to seek further medical examination for their child as a precaution.
Nex’s cousin, Sue Benedict, took Nex to the hospital for an MRI the same day due to severe facial bruises and scratches. Benedict, who had adopted Nex, reported the incident to the police. The following day, Nex collapsed at home, prompting Benedict to rush them back to the hospital. The Owasso police stated that the results of an autopsy are pending, and they are awaiting a toxicology report before deciding whether to refer the case to the Tulsa district attorney’s office for potential charges. Oklahoma law does not address hate crimes based on gender identity or sexual orientation.
Authorities emphasized that it is not yet determined whether Nex’s death is directly related to the incident at the school. The investigation is being taken seriously and conducted thoroughly, according to the police statement. Nex’s death has had a significant impact on LGBTQ+ communities in Oklahoma, especially among youths.