Death of Nex Benedict: Difference between revisions
Removed OR. Talk page consensus has been firmly against you on this one for the last day at least, →Death |
Angrycommguy (talk | contribs) Undid revision 1209959946 by Callumpenguin (talk) Included updated article from “The Advocate” (the original source) the confirms Benedict did commit mutual assault according to police. Tag: Reverted |
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==Death== |
==Death== |
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According to Benedict, they and their friends had been bullied at [[Owasso High School]] before the incident. As retaliation, while in the bathroom of their [[Sex assignment|assigned sex]] per Oklahoma law, |
According to Benedict, they and their friends had been bullied at [[Owasso High School]] before the incident. As retaliation, while in the bathroom of their [[Sex assignment|assigned sex]] per Oklahoma law, Benedict committed assault by throwing water on one of the three girls who had bullied Benedict,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wiggins |first1=Christopher |title=Watch alarming video of Nex Benedict explaining to police that they were bullied |url=https://www.advocate.com/news/nex-benedict-police-video |access-date=24 February 2024 |publisher=Advocate |date=23 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Wiggins |first=Christopher |date=February 21, 2024 |title=What we know about Oklahoma nonbinary teen Nex Benedict's tragic death |url=https://www.advocate.com/news/nex-benedict-what-we-know |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222010714/https://www.advocate.com/news/nex-benedict-what-we-know |archive-date=February 22, 2024 |access-date=22 February 2024 |magazine=[[The Advocate (magazine)|The Advocate]]}}</ref> which led to the girls retaliating and assaulting Benedict and their friends.<ref>{{Citation |title=Owasso police release audio, video recordings from investigation into Nex Benedict's death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5nHh8ghaEc |access-date=2024-02-24 |language=en}}</ref> During the assault, Benedict sustained severe head injuries after being knocked to the ground and having their head repeatedly slammed into the floor.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McMenamin |first=Lex |date=February 21, 2024 |title=Nex Benedict: Everything We Know About 16-Year-Old Oklahoma Student's Death |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/nex-benedict-everything-we-know-about-16-year-old-oklahoma-students-death |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221232902/https://www.teenvogue.com/story/nex-benedict-everything-we-know-about-16-year-old-oklahoma-students-death |archive-date=February 21, 2024 |access-date=February 21, 2024 |work=[[Teen Vogue]]}}</ref> They were found covered in facial bruises near their eyes, and had scratches on the back of their head.<ref name="IndependentHurley20Feb" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Rajkumar |first=Shruti |date=2024-02-21 |title=Bullied Transgender Teen Dies After Alleged Assault By Students In Oklahoma |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bullied-transgender-teen-dies-after-alleged-assault-by-students-in-oklahoma_n_65d54e83e4b0b65d6920ed51 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221163741/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bullied-transgender-teen-dies-after-alleged-assault-by-students-in-oklahoma_n_65d54e83e4b0b65d6920ed51 |archive-date=February 21, 2024 |access-date=2024-02-21 |work=[[Huffington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Rose |first=Andy |date=2024-02-21 |title=Nex Benedict: Death of Oklahoma teen after fight in school has LGBTQ+ advocates seeking answers |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/21/us/oklahoma-teen-death-school-fight/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222035607/https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/21/us/oklahoma-teen-death-school-fight/index.html |archive-date=February 22, 2024 |access-date=2024-02-22 |work=[[CNN]]}}</ref> |
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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.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Alfonseca |first=Kiara |date=February 21, 2024 |title=Oklahoma death of nonbinary student Nex Benedict after in-school fight prompts calls for answers |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/oklahoma-death-nonbinary-student-nex-benedict-after-school/story?id=107384625 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221160535/https://abcnews.go.com/US/oklahoma-death-nonbinary-student-nex-benedict-after-school/story?id=107384625 |archive-date=February 21, 2024 |access-date=2024-02-21 |work=[[ABC News]]}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last1=Stelloh |first1=Tim |last2=Guevara |first2=Sarah |last3=Burke |first3=Minyvonne |date=2024-02-21 |title=Oklahoma student dies one day after fight in high school bathroom |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/oklahoma-student-dies-one-day-fight-high-school-bathroom-rcna139643 |access-date=2024-02-21 |work=[[NBC News]] |archive-date=February 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221163409/https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/oklahoma-student-dies-one-day-fight-high-school-bathroom-rcna139643 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Alfonseca |first=Kiara |date=February 21, 2024 |title=Oklahoma death of nonbinary student Nex Benedict after in-school fight prompts calls for answers |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/oklahoma-death-nonbinary-student-nex-benedict-after-school/story?id=107384625 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221160535/https://abcnews.go.com/US/oklahoma-death-nonbinary-student-nex-benedict-after-school/story?id=107384625 |archive-date=February 21, 2024 |access-date=2024-02-21 |work=[[ABC News]]}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last1=Stelloh |first1=Tim |last2=Guevara |first2=Sarah |last3=Burke |first3=Minyvonne |date=2024-02-21 |title=Oklahoma student dies one day after fight in high school bathroom |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/oklahoma-student-dies-one-day-fight-high-school-bathroom-rcna139643 |access-date=2024-02-21 |work=[[NBC News]] |archive-date=February 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221163409/https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/oklahoma-student-dies-one-day-fight-high-school-bathroom-rcna139643 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
Revision as of 14:45, 24 February 2024
Nex Benedict | |
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Born | 2008 |
Died | (aged 16) Owasso, Oklahoma, U.S. |
Nex Benedict (c. 2008 – February 8, 2024) was a 16-year-old non-binary American student who died after being attacked at 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, dying the following day.[1][2][3] As of February 2024[update], the cause of their death has not yet been established, and an autopsy is still pending.[4][5]
Background
Nex Benedict was born in 2008 to a mother enrolled in the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.[3]
Death
According to Benedict, they and their friends had been bullied at Owasso High School before the incident. As retaliation, while in the bathroom of their assigned sex per Oklahoma law, Benedict committed assault by throwing water on one of the three girls who had bullied Benedict,[6][7] which led to the girls retaliating and assaulting Benedict and their friends.[8] During the assault, Benedict sustained severe head injuries after being knocked to the ground and having their head repeatedly slammed into the floor.[9] They were found covered in facial bruises near their eyes, and had scratches on the back of their head.[5][10][11]
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.[12] 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.[13]
According to Benedict's grandmother, Sue Benedict, who had raised Benedict since they were two months old and adopted them in 2022,[4] the school did not call an ambulance or the police, and instead ordered Benedict suspended for two weeks.[5] Sue took Benedict to a nearby hospital for treatment,[5] 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.[5]
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.[5] Benedict was declared dead at the hospital that evening.[5]
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."[4] Investigations by the Owasso Police Department to determine the events that led to Benedict's death are ongoing. As of February 21, 2024[update], police are awaiting toxicology and autopsy results from the local medical examiner's office before determining whether anyone will be charged.[5] Law enforcement conducted interviews with school staff and students with all findings sent to the Tulsa County District Attorney's Office.[12]
On February 21, a police department spokesperson said that hallway video from inside the school, showing Benedict before and after the incident, has been reviewed by investigators and will be released "at some point".[14] On February 23, the Owasso police released footage from school surveillance cameras, officer worn body cameras, and audio of the 911 calls made by Sue Benedict on February 7 and 8.[15][16]
The Owasso Police Department said that initial autopsy information showed that the death was not-trauma related,[17] though this is disputed. The Benedict family is privately investigating the incident, also stating there were other facts not publicly available.[18]
Aftermath
In a letter to parents, Owasso Public Schools said it would be increasing the number of security personnel within the district, updating their safety drills and rules, and providing counseling services for students affected by the death.[19][20][21]
Reactions
While Benedict's cause of death has not yet been determined to have been caused by the attack, at least one LGBTQ advocacy group, Freedom Oklahoma, has described the reported attack that preceded Benedict’s death as a possible hate crime.[5][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".[13]
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 legislature that required multi-occupation restrooms in public schools or public charter schools in Oklahoma to be for the exclusive use of either the male or the female sex, "as designated on individuals' original birth certificates".[22] LGBT activists and advocacy groups have linked the death to 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.[5][23][19] 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.[5][23]
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, with many mentioning Benedict's death, and most reporting having been bullied themselves.[24]
After city police claimed the death was not related to the altercation, multiple activists and groups called for an independent or federal investigation, including the Human Rights Campaign and House Minority Leader Ritchie Torres.[25]
Vice President Kamala Harris said that 'her heart goes out to Nex Benedict's family' and that she stood with LGBTQ+ youth.[26]
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "Rest in power Nex Benedict". Freedom Oklahoma. February 19, 2024. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ a b Agoyo, Acee (February 21, 2024). "Nex's death weighs heavily on the hearts of the Choctaw people". Indianz.Com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c Wiggins, Christopher (February 20, 2024). "Oklahoma transgender student dies after assault at school". The Advocate. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Wiggins, Christopher (February 23, 2024). "Watch alarming video of Nex Benedict explaining to police that they were bullied". Advocate. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
- ^ Wiggins, Christopher (February 21, 2024). "What we know about Oklahoma nonbinary teen Nex Benedict's tragic death". The Advocate. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
- ^ Owasso police release audio, video recordings from investigation into Nex Benedict's death, retrieved February 24, 2024
- ^ McMenamin, Lex (February 21, 2024). "Nex Benedict: Everything We Know About 16-Year-Old Oklahoma Student's Death". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Rajkumar, Shruti (February 21, 2024). "Bullied Transgender Teen Dies After Alleged Assault By Students In Oklahoma". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Rose, Andy (February 21, 2024). "Nex Benedict: Death of Oklahoma teen after fight in school has LGBTQ+ advocates seeking answers". CNN. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
- ^ a b Alfonseca, Kiara (February 21, 2024). "Oklahoma death of nonbinary student Nex Benedict after in-school fight prompts calls for answers". ABC News. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ a b Stelloh, Tim; Guevara, Sarah; Burke, Minyvonne (February 21, 2024). "Oklahoma student dies one day after fight in high school bathroom". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Burke, Minyvonne; Stelloh, Tim; Yurcaba, Jo (February 21, 2024). "Authorities to release video from school where family of LGBTQ student said teen was attacked day before their death". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ "Owasso Police release body cam video, 911 call, leading up to student's death following fight in school bathroom". Fox24 News. February 23, 2024. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
- ^ "Owasso police release audio, video recordings from investigation into Nex Benedict's death". 2 News Oklahoma. February 23, 2024. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
- ^ "Oklahoma police say bullied nonbinary teen Nex Benedict 'did not die as a result of trauma'". advocate.com. Advocate. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
- ^ "Nex Benedict's family will privately investigate bullied non-binary student's death after fight". independent.co.uk. The Independent. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
- ^ a b Shuttleworth, Catherine (February 20, 2024). "Thousands raised for non-binary teenager beaten to death at school". indy100. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ "Owasso Public Schools addresses school safety measures". FOX23 News. February 16, 2024. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Response to Death of Nex Benedict From Bridge v. Oklahoma State Board of Education Legal Team". American Civil Liberties Union. February 20, 2024. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Hennessy-Fiske, Molly (February 21, 2024). "Soul-searching and recriminations after teen's death in Oklahoma". Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ "Torres calls for federal investigation into Nex Benedict's death". thehill.com. The Hill. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
- ^ "Kamala Harris 'stands with' LGBTQ youth following death of non-binary teen Nex Benedict". thepinknews.com. PinkNews. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
- 2000s births
- 2024 deaths
- 2020s anti-LGBT movement in the United States
- 2024 controversies in the United States
- 2024 in LGBT history
- 2024 in Oklahoma
- American non-binary people
- Bullying in the United States
- Child deaths
- February 2024 events in the United States
- LGBT in Oklahoma
- Violence against LGBT people in the United States
- Violence against transgender people
- American people of Choctaw descent