At Owasso High School in Oklahoma, a confrontation involving nonbinary student Nex Benedict and several other students occurred the day before Benedict’s passing. On Monday, students staged a walkout in solidarity against bullying and in support of the school’s 2SLGBTQ community.
“Our children are scared to death and go to school every day, and something has to stop,” one Owasso parent, Susie Eubank, told Tulsa ABC affiliate KTUL. “My child has had direct threats. Direct derogatory names.”
“I just want to get the word out and show these kids that we’re here,” Cassidy Brown, who graduated from Owasso and helped organize the demonstration, told KTUL. “There is a community here in this city that does exist, and we see them, and they are loved.”
Following Nex’s recent passing, discussions around anti-LGBTQ bullying and violence have intensified. The Benedict family and the local 2SLGBTQ community are joined in mourning through vigils and memorials spanning across the state and nation.
“Together, we can send a strong message that bullying is not acceptable and that we stand with those who have experienced it,” read a post from the Trans Advocacy Coalition of Oklahoma, which helped organize the event.
More About Nex Benedict’s Death Case
Nex Benedict passed away one day after a physical altercation involving three other students. Police have stated that Nex Benedict’s death was not directly caused by physical injuries sustained during the altercation.
Authorities are awaiting the comprehensive findings of the autopsy and toxicology reports to gain a deeper understanding of the circumstances surrounding the 16-year-old’s passing.
The state medical examiner’s office will ultimately determine the conclusive cause and manner of death.
Newly released body camera footage reveals Nex Benedict lying on a gurney at a local hospital in the aftermath of the Feb. 7 altercation at Owasso High School.
In the footage, Nex Benedict can be heard informing a school resource officer that they had poured water on three students who were mocking their and their friends’ attire and laughter.
“And so I went up there and I poured water on them. And then all three of them came at me,” the teen said in the 21-minute video about the students they had an altercation with.
“They came at me, they grabbed on my hair. I grabbed on them. I threw one of them into a paper towel dispenser. And then they got my legs out from under me and got me on the ground, started beating the s— out of me,” Nex Benedict said. “And then my friends tried to jump in and help but I’m not sure, I blacked out.”
Nex stated they were unfamiliar with the students’ names but noted that the group had been consistently “antagonizing” them in the days preceding the incident.
When questioned by school resource officer Caleb Thompson about why they didn’t report the incidents to school administrators, Nex Benedict responded that they “didn’t really see the point,” although they had informed their mother about the situation.
In response to the alleged bullying Nex faced in school, Nex Benedict’s family has demanded action and answers.
“The Benedicts know all too well the devastating effects of bullying and school violence, and pray for meaningful change wherein bullying is taken seriously and no family has to deal with another preventable tragedy,” the family said via their attorney in a statement.
The family stated that Nex Benedict’s experience with bullying began after Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed a bill into law in May 2022, which prohibited transgender and gender-expansive youth from using bathrooms aligning with their gender identity.
While Owasso Public Schools declined to comment on the investigation into the teen’s death, they assured ABC News in a statement on Thursday that ensuring the safety and security of their students remains their foremost priority, and they are dedicated to cultivating a safe and inclusive environment for all.
“Bullying in any form is unacceptable,” the statement read. “We take reports of bullying very seriously and have policies and procedures in place to address such behavior.”
More than 50 anti-LGBTQ bills are currently under consideration in the Oklahoma Legislature, as reported by the American Civil Liberties Union. Governor Stitt has taken measures such as banning nonbinary gender markers on IDs, limiting gender-affirming care for transgender youth, and prohibiting transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports, citing concerns about fairness.
Critics, including local lawmakers, argue that this legislation exacerbates discrimination and marginalization against the 2SLGBTQ community in the state.
Federal security officials have also voiced apprehensions about the increasing anti-LGBTQ sentiment in the United States, coinciding with a surge in similar bills nationwide.
“Seeing bill after bill targeting people, targeting their right to exist and ignoring real problems in Oklahoma is difficult,” state Rep. Amanda Swope said during a Sunday vigil for Nex.
“I feel like there’s nothing that we could say up here as legislators that will provide solace at this moment, but know that we’re there for you and that we are again ready to stand and hold people accountable.”
The Human Rights Campaign has called for federal investigations into potential violations of LGBTQ student protections in Nex Benedict’s case.
The organization has sent letters to both the Department of Education and the Department of Justice, urging a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding Nex’s passing.
The incident surrounding Nex Benedict’s death has resonated deeply across the nation, prompting 2SLGBTQ groups and allies to demand answers regarding the circumstances.
The term “2SLGBTQ” encompasses Two Spirit, which serves as an umbrella term representing a third gender within Native and Indigenous communities. Sue Benedict, Nex’s family member, is a registered member of the Choctaw Nation.
