Community members expressed anger at the initial board meeting of the Owasso Public School District after the death of Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old transgender Native American student who passed away on February 8 following an alleged attack by three bullies in his high school bathroom.
There are doubts from medical experts about a report from the state medical examiner’s office that concluded Benedict’s death was likely a suicide because of the “combined toxicity” of two medications: the anti-histamine diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and the anti-depressant fluoxetine (Prozac). The experts stated that death from these two drugs would be infrequent and very unusual. The recent report from the state medical examiner’s office that found Benedict’s death was likely a result of a suicide due to a combination of two medications, Benadryl and Prozac, has been questioned by medical experts, who stated that death from these medications is uncommon.
During the last Monday's meeting, Superintendent Dr. Margaret Coates recognized the angry protestors who accused administrators of not addressing the district’s alleged bullying issue.
“I’m pleased that in times like this our school community continues to come together to reflect, support one another, and ensure that every student feels a sense of safety, security, and belonging within our school walls,” Coates said.
However, former Owasso student Madison Hutton claimed that students at the school encounter widespread bullying and prejudice, WDBJ reported. Nex had reportedly suffered ongoing bullying during his time at school before the alleged bathroom incident that took place on February 7, one day before his death.
Self-proclaimed comedian Walter Masterson also delivered an impassioned speech during the meeting, stating, “A more, you know, woke school board would recognize the death of a child and strive to ensure it never happens again. Not this board! This board sees a dead kid and says ‘That’s a good start!'”
“There’s nothing more unnatural than a teenager experimenting with their identity,” Masterson sarcastically remarked, “because it has never occurred before and should be penalized. We’re the good guys — we’ll disrespect a kid’s grave, blame the parents, and tell our teenagers to hit them harder…. When we heard that a trans child had been beaten to death, our State Senator Tom Woods immediately released a statement: ‘We don’t want that filth in Oklahoma.'”
Masterson mentioned a statement Woods (R) made when questioned at a public forum about Benedict’s death and the state’s anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
Woods replied, “We are a Republican state, a supermajority, in the House and Senate. I represent a constituency that doesn’t want that filth in Oklahoma. We are a religious state, and we are going to fight it to keep that filth out of the state of Oklahoma because we are a Christian state. We are a moral state.”
When questioned about his comments, Woods said, “A child losing their life is horrible,” and then claimed that groups with ” radical ideologies” are trying to “mutilate” children. Gender-affirming surgeries are rarely ever performed on minors.
Two medical experts have recently questioned the accuracy of official reports concluding that Benedict died as a result of a suicide overdose from Prozac and Benadryl. Both mentioned that the medications, when used as prescribed, rarely lead to death.
Dr. Masha Yemets, a specialist in toxicology, mentioned that the chance of death from these drugs is extremely low.
Dr. Joshua King, who is the medical director of the Maryland Poison Center, stated that while death from these poisons is rare, overdosing can lead to seizures and aspiration, where vomit reaches the lungs and can cause death. The quickest cause of death, however, could be arrhythmia.
King added that it is possible for the medications to interact in someone with an undiagnosed heart condition, leading to a specific type of heart arrhythmia, but this would be very rare in normal circumstances.
King mentioned that the final toxicology report on Benedict’s death could provide information on the levels of each drug in Benedict’s system at the time of his death, and whether the death was caused by aspiration or arrhythmia. He also added that the level of medication needed to cause an overdose differs for each person.
Benedict’s family has pledged to conduct an independent investigation. pledged to conduct an independent investigation into the teen’s death. The family has noted that the official report mentioned bruises on Benedict’s right eye and right side of their face as well as scrapes on their cheeks and ears and bleeding under their scalp that all convey the seriousness of the attack Benedict allegedly endured in the bathroom before he allegedly blacked out due to his injuries.
Benedict’s school didn’t call an ambulance for the injured teen and didn’t inform the police of the assault until he was later admitted to the hospital.
In a statement issued last Thursday, President Joe Biden said, “Nex Benedict, a kid who just wanted to be accepted, should still be here with us today… 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.
