Nex Benedict’s family has shared more information left out of an initial summary of the Oklahoma state medical examiner’s report released Wednesday, which concluded that the transgender teen’s death was a suicide.
The Benedicts' lawyers released a statement on Thursday to ensure that other important parts of the report are not ignored due to the focus on the classification of Nex’s death. The family wants to highlight findings that have not been released by the Medical Examiner’s office, particularly those that contradict claims that the assault on Nex was insignificant.
The 16-year-old Choctaw descent student from Owasso High School passed away on February 8, following a violent incident with three other students in a school bathroom, during which he was reportedly severely beaten. Benedict had confided in his mother about being bullied by the three students due to his gender identity. Although many media outlets refer to Benedict as nonbinary, friends have told NBC News’ Jo Yurcaba that Benedict was trans and preferred he/him pronouns. pronouns.)
Benedict’s death sparked widespread concern from the LGBTQ+ community and allies, along with speculation that his death was a direct result of injuries sustained during the bathroom incident at Owasso High School. A summary of the state medical examiner’s report, released on Wednesday, listed the probable cause of Benedict’s death as a likely suicide due to the “combined toxicity” of two medications: the antihistamine diphenhydramine and the antidepressant fluoxetine.
The Associated Press reports that Owasso Police Department Lt. Nick Boatman would not confirm whether police found a note from Benedict.
The complete medical examiner’s report is expected to be made public on March 27.
According to the family’s statement, the full report details “numerous areas of physical trauma over Nex’s body that evidence the severity of the assault.” The family provided part of the full report listing two bruises to the 16-year-old’s head as well as multiple hemorrhages, abrasions, and lacerations under the heading “No lethal trauma.”
“The Benedicts continue to urge our schools, administrators, lawmakers, and communities to work together to prevent other families from experiencing the pain that Nex’s loved ones are going through. They advocate for reforms that promote respectful, inclusive, and compassionate school environments, and aim to eradicate bullying and hate, which they believe all stakeholders should support.
Following widespread concern from the LGBTQ+ community and advocacy organizations, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) announced that it would initiate an investigation into Owasso Public Schools to determine if the district “failed to properly address alleged harassment of students” as outlined in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, a federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which prohibits bans unfair treatment based on gender dysphoria, including trans and nonbinary identity).
The Human Rights Campaign has also requested an inquiry into Oklahoma’s anti-LGBTQ+ Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters and the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Before Benedict’s death, Walters had already received widespread criticism from both Republican and Democratic state lawmakers for choosing 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.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden urged parents and schools to take bullying seriously following Benedict’s death. “Bullying is hurtful and cruel, and no one should face the bullying that Nex did,” Biden said in a statement. “In memory of Nex, we must all recommit to our work to end discrimination and address the suicide crisis impacting too many nonbinary and transgender children.”
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 offers a safe, judgment-free place for youth to talk via chat, text (678-678), or phone (1-866-488-7386). Help is available at all three resources in English and Spanish.
