Jump to content

Death of Nex Benedict

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 57.140.32.25 (talk) at 18:23, 21 February 2024. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Nex Benedict (c. 2008 – February 8, 2024) was a 16-year-old non-binary American student of Choctaw ancestry who died a day after an assault, battery and potential hate crime in their high school. Benedict, who had previously been bullied at school, was beaten in the women's restroom at Owasso High School in Owasso, Oklahoma.[1][2] The death has not been proven as a result of the physical altercation, and an autopsy is still pending.[3][4]

Death

On February 7, 2024, Benedict was reportedly assaulted by three cisgender girls at Owasso High School while using the restroom corresponding to their assigned sex at birth, per Oklahoma law. During the assault, Benedict sustained severe head injuries after being knocked to the ground, was covered in facial bruises near their eyes, and had scratches on the back of their head.[4][5]

Per school officials, the students involved were in the bathroom for less than two minutes and the "physical altercation" was broken up by other students that were present in the restroom and a staff member who was supervising outside of the restroom.[6] By the school officials' account, all students walked under their own power to the nurse and then to the assistant principal's office after the fight, where they were given a health assessment, gave statements, and contacted their parents. While Benedict was not identified as the student, officials stated that they advised one student's parent to take them to a medical facility for further examination.[7]

According to Benedict's grandmother, Sue Benedict, who had raised Benedict since they were two months old and adopted them in 2022,[3] the school did not call an ambulance or the police, and instead ordered Benedict suspended for two weeks.[4] Sue took Benedict to a nearby hospital for treatment,[4] where she summoned the Owasso Police Department at around 3:30 p.m (CT).[1] Benedict was discharged later that day, and reportedly went to sleep with a sore head.[4]

The following day, on February 8, as they were preparing to travel with their grandmother for an appointment, Benedict collapsed in the family's living room. An ambulance was called, and Benedict had stopped breathing by the time EMTs arrived.[4] Benedict was declared dead at the hospital that evening.[4]

Investigation

In a statement to The Advocate, Dan Yancy, Owasso Police Chief, said that "no report of the incident was made to the Owasso Police Department prior to the notification at the hospital."[3] Investigations by the Owasso Police Department to determine the events that led to Benedict's death are ongoing. As of February 21, 2024, police are awaiting toxicology and autopsy results from the local medical examiner's office before determining whether anyone will be charged.[4] Law enforcement conducted interviews with school staff and students with all findings sent to the Tulsa County District Attorney's Office.[6]

Aftermath

In a letter to parents, Owasso Public Schools said it would be increasing the number of security personnel within the district, as well as updating their safety drills and rules, and would also be providing counseling services for students affected by the death.[8][9][10]

Reactions

While Benedict's cause of death has not yet been determined to have been caused by the attack, some groups have described the reported attack that preceded Benedict’s death as a hate crime.[4][2]

Chuck Hoskin Jr., the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, spoke out about Benedict's death, stating they were a "wonderful child whose experience and identity matter and was worth celebrating".[7]

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) issued a statement linking the attack on Benedict with Oklahoma Senate Bill 615, a law passed by the State of Oklahoma that required multi-occupation restrooms to be "exclusive use of either the male or the female sex, as designated on individuals' original birth certificates".[11] LGBT activists and advocacy groups have linked the death to hateful rhetoric spread by Chaya Raichik on her Libs of TikTok social media accounts, including an event in which a video featuring one of Benedict's teachers was shared by Raichik.[4][12][8] This came in the wake of Raichik's appointment to the Oklahoma Department of Education's Library Media Advisory Committee by Ryan Walters, the Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction, in January 2024.[4][12]

A hotline run by the Indianapolis-based Rainbow Youth Project was reported as receiving over 200 calls from Oklahoma in the weekend following Benedict's death, more than three times the usual amount. Two thirds of these callers made direct mention of Benedict's death, and 80% reported suffering bullying themselves.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b Levesque, Brody (February 19, 2024). "Oklahoma non-binary high schooler dies after physical altercation". Los Angeles Blade. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Rest in power Nex Benedict". Freedom Oklahoma. February 19, 2024. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Wiggins, Christopher (February 20, 2024). "Oklahoma transgender student dies after assault at school". The Advocate. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Hurley, Bevan (February 20, 2024). "Oklahoma banned trans students from bathrooms. Now a bullied student is dead". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  5. ^ Rajkumar, Shruti (February 21, 2024). "Bullied Transgender Teen Dies After Alleged Assault By Students In Oklahoma". HuffPost. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Alfonseca, Kiara (February 21, 2024). "Oklahoma death of nonbinary student Nex Benedict after in-school fight prompts calls for answers". ABC News. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Stelloh, Tim; Guevara, Sarah; Burke, Minyvonne (February 21, 2024). "Oklahoma student dies one day after fight in high school bathroom". NBC News. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Shuttleworth, Catherine (February 20, 2024). "Thousands raised for non-binary teenager beaten to death at school". indy100. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  9. ^ "Owasso Public Schools addresses school safety measures". FOX23 News. February 16, 2024. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  10. ^ Villarreal, Daniel (February 20, 2024). "Teen beaten to death in a school bathroom bullying attack. The school didn't call an ambulance". LGBTQ Nation. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  11. ^ "Response to Death of Nex Benedict From Bridge v. Oklahoma State Board of Education Legal Team". American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Monteil, Abby (February 20, 2024). "Nonbinary Teen Nex Benedict Dies After Being Attacked By Peers in a School Bathroom". Them. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  13. ^ "Soul-searching and recriminations after teen's death in Oklahoma". WaPo.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Death_of_Nex_Benedict&oldid=1209393062"