The medical examiner’s office in Oklahoma state has concluded that Nex Benedict’s death was a suicide.
A 16-year-old student at Owasso High School named Nex Benedict, who was of Choctaw descent, passed away on February 8 after being involved in a violent incident with three other students in a school bathroom. He was reportedly beaten until he lost consciousness. Benedict, who friends and family say identified as transgender and preferred to be referred to with he/him pronouns at school, told his mother that he had been bullied by the three students due to his gender identity. pronouns His death has sparked widespread outrage from the LGBTQ+ community and supporters, and there are suspicions that it may be linked to the injuries he sustained during the bathroom altercation at Owasso High School.
The Oklahoma state medical examiner’s report on Benedict’s cause of death was made public on Wednesday. It indicated that the probable cause of death was a combination of one over-the-counter drug and one prescription drug.
The full medical examiner’s report is set to be released on March 27. NBC NewsThe Owasso Police Department issued a statement on Facebook Wednesday evening, stating that they had observed indications from the start of the investigation that this was a suicide. However, they did not want to confirm this without the final results from the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office.
According to the Owasso Police Department, the full medical examiner’s report will be released on March 27. The Hill A statement from the Owasso Police Department mentioned that Benedict “did not die as a result of trauma” based on preliminary autopsy findings. However, OPD spokesperson Lieutenant Nick Boatman later communicated to investigative news site Popular Information that the medical examiner never explicitly stated that Nex “did not die from something as a result of that fight.”
Margaret Coates, the superintendent of Owasso Public Schools, expressed in a letter to families and teachers that Benedict’s death had been “devastating.” statement As per NBC News, Coates wrote, “We understand that the information released today may bring up additional thoughts, feelings, and emotions for students and staff members.”
Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), stated, “As parents, we send our kids to school expecting that they will be safe and cared for. Nex was failed by so many and should still be here today,” following the release of the medical examiner’s report. Following the widespread outcry, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) announced that it would initiate an inquiry into the Owasso Public Schools to ascertain whether the district “failed to appropriately respond to alleged harassment of students” in line with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
prohibits unfair treatment based on gender dysphoria
, including transgender and nonbinary identity).
The HRC has also requested an inquiry into the anti-LGBTQ+ Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters and the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Before Benedict's passing, Walters had already received widespread criticism from both Republican and Democratic state lawmakers for appointing New York-based hate influencer and former real estate agent Chaya Raichik, who runs the anti-LGBTQ+ social media account Libs of TikTok,
to Oklahoma's library advisory committee in January . Multiple LGBTQ+ advocacy and civil rights organizations have demanded Walters' removal. Last week, Rainbow Youth Project reported a shocking 238 percent increase in emergency callsoriginating from Oklahoma following Benedict's death. And this week, the
Washington Post published a report based on FBI data showing thatanti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes in K–12 schools have more than quadrupled
in states where Republican lawmakers have enacted laws targeting the community. In a statement to Wednesday, Freedom Oklahoma stated that Benedict's death underscores the risks for transgender and gender-nonconforming students in schools. “2STGNC+ students are the ones at risk; they are under attack in their schools, and they are under a coordinated attack by extremist politicians who care more about soundbites than children's lives,” the statement read. “Nex’s death occurred during a nationwide effort to push 2SLGBTQ+ people out of public life and back into the closets.” If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org Trans Lifeline (1-877-565-8860) is staffed by trans people and will not contact law enforcement. The Trevor Project provides a safe, judgment-free place to talk for youth via
, text (678-678), or phone (1-866-488-7386). Help is available at all three resources in English and Spanish. ABC News The transgender high school student died on February 8, a day after a violent altercation with three other students.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. The Trans Lifeline (1-877-565-8860) is staffed by trans people and will not contact law enforcement. The Trevor Project provides a safe, judgment-free place to talk for youth via chat, text (678-678), or phone (1-866-488-7386). Help is available at all three resources in English and Spanish.
