Non-binary teenager Nex Benedict dies after school fight

On February 7, Nex Benedict was involved in a fight at Owasso Public High School in Oklahoma. The 16-year-old, who identified as non-binary, was rushed to hospital a day later and died.

Relatives of the 10th grader, who used their first names, said Benedict had been bullied because of their gender identity, according to Washington Post. Amid outrage surrounding the Oklahoma teenager's death, police claimed an autopsy “showed the decedent did not die as a result of blunt force trauma.”

According to the Owasso Police Department, after the altercation, a registered nurse examined each student involved and determined that an ambulance was not required. However, the school nurse recommended that Benedict visit a medical facility for further evaluation.

The next day, Owasso Fire Department medics were dispatched to a medical emergency involving Benedict, who was taken to St. Francis Pediatric Emergency Department where he died.

The Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner did not immediately respond Rolling rockhis request for comment.

A spokesperson for the Owasso School District said in a statement that it is cooperating fully with the Owasso Police Department and is limiting its statements due to the ongoing investigation.

“However, speculation and misinformation surrounding the case has intensified in recent days,” the statement said. The district confirmed that there was a physical altercation on Feb. 7 in a school restroom and that those involved in the altercation were evaluated by a nurse and no ambulance was required. “Physical fights between students are unacceptable. Any student(s) engaging in such action, endangering the safety of others, will be subject to disciplinary consequences. These consequences may include out-of-school suspension for a first offense,” the statement continued. “Due to federal privacy laws, we are unable to disclose the exact nature of disciplinary action taken against any student. This information may only be released to the parent/guardian of the disciplined student. Any notion that the district ignored disciplinary action against those involved is simply untrue.”

The district added, “The loss of a student, a member of the Ram family and Owasso community, is devastating. We recognize the impact this event had on the entire school community and it is our priority to foster an environment where everyone feels heard, supported and safe.”

Both lawmakers and activists have blamed Benedict's death and mistreatment on Oklahoma's antagonistic policies surrounding transgender students. “We want to be clear, whether Nex died as a direct result of injuries sustained in the brutal hate-motivated attack at the school or not, Nex's death is a result of physical and emotional damage because of who Nex was.” LGBTQ+ advocacy group Freedom Oklahoma told a statement. “This harm is entirely related to the rhetoric and policies common in the Oklahoma Legislature, Department of Education and the Governor's office regarding the dehumanization of 2STGNC+ people.”

Superintendent Ryan Walters, a major contributor to Oklahoma school policies, has come under fire for policies he says target and endanger transgender and gender non-conforming students. He was also responsible for the Libs' appointment of TikTok's Chaya Raichik to a volunteer board, despite not living in the state.

In April 2022, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed a bill expressly banning non-binary gender identification on a state birth certificate — making Oklahoma the first to sign the non-binary ban into law. Stitt was also among 11 Republican state leaders to pass laws barring transgender girls from playing on girls' school sports teams.

“Our hearts go out to Nex's family, classmates and the Owasso community,” Stitt, an LGBTQ+ rights critic, said in a statement Tuesday. “The death of any child in an Oklahoma school is a tragedy – and the bullies must be held accountable.”

ONE GoFundMe has been posted to help the family with funeral expenses and has raised more than $82,000 as of press time. In an update posted on Tuesday, their mother Sue Benedict wrote: “The rest of the money will go to other kids dealing with the right to be who they feel, in Nex Benedict's name.”