Oklahoma non-binary high schooler murdered by peer at school

[baddisease 17,953]

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OWASSO, Okla. – Located in Tulsa County on U.S. Highway 169 six miles north of Tulsa’s city limits, this city of 39,328 persons is grappling with conflict and accusations after Nex (Dagny) Benedict, a 16-year-old Owasso High School non-binary sophomore, died after a physical fight in a restroom at the school.

However, according to school officials there was no notification or staff awareness of the fight until the young student had been taken to hospital and later died. The Owasso Police Department is now investigating the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.

According to the local newspaper, the Owasso Reporter:

On Wednesday, Feb. 7, around 3:30 p.m., police were called to Bailey Medical Center by the parent of a 16-year-old Owasso High School student who allegedly had a physical altercation at the campus earlier that day, according to the police report.

It states that no initial report of the fight was made to police prior to their admission to Bailey, although information was taken by a school resource officer at the hospital.

On Thursday evening, police were made aware that the student was rushed back to the hospital where they were pronounced dead from a medical episode, the report states.

Editor’s note. The following report is from KJRH-TV News 2 which does use pronouns other than those used by non-binary persons. Those have been placed in brackets for clarity.

KJRH-TV News 2 in neighboring Tulsa reported that a person knowledgeable of the events leading to the teen’s death, who claimed to be the mother of the victim’s best friend, told the station regarding the teen’s death:

“I think complications from brain trauma, head trauma, is what caused it,” she said.

The woman wouldn’t say the victim’s name but said [she] was a sophomore. She said the victim was outgoing and loyal once they got comfortable and was not afraid to be outspoken. The woman said three older girls were beating on the victim and her daughter in the girl’s bathroom.

“I know at one point, one of the girls was pretty much repeatedly beating [her] head across the floor,” she said. That’s when she said a teacher walked in and broke it up.

“[She] couldn’t walk to the nurses’ station on [her] own, and staff didn’t call the ambulance, which amazes me,” she said.

The woman told 2 News the victim’s grandmother, who [she] primarily lived with, brought [her] to the hospital after the fight. She said the victim was released that evening but was brought back the next day and died.

KJRH-TV News 2 reached out multiple times along with other media outlets to Owasso Public Schools. A School district spokesperson responded saying there would be no comment “because this is an active police investigation.”

The Owasso Police Department also declined to comment except for noting investigators still don’t know if the fight was related to the teen’s death or if a separate medical issue was the cause. OPD said they’re waiting on the corner-medical examiner’s report before releasing more information.

Owasso Public Schools released this statement about the student’s death:

“The Owasso Police Department has notified district leaders of the death of an Owasso High School student. The student’s name and cause of death have not yet been made public. As this is an active police investigation, we will have no additional comment at this time. Further inquiries should be directed to the Owasso Police Department.”

“The district will have additional counselors at the school to provide support to students and staff beginning on Friday.”

On Feb. 15, after a service was held at Mowery Funeral Service Chapel, Benedict was buried at Ridgelawn Cemetery in Collinsville.

LGBTQ+ advocates and others are angered by the death, the misgendering in local media and the fact that the school district, which has been previously targeted by the far-right anti-LGBTQ+ extremist Libs of TikTok’s creator Chaya Raichik, seems unable to grapple with anti-LGBTQ+ bullying.

Raichik was named to sit on an Oklahoma committee reviewing school library content by far-right leaning State Superintendent of schools Ryan Walters.

In 2022, Raichik targeted a now former Owasso 8th grade teacher for speaking out in support of LGBTQ+ students who lacked acceptance from their parents. That teacher, Tyler Wrynn, was labeled a ‘groomer’ and a predator in social media posts.

According to LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, Raichik’s endless targeting only seems to encourage more violence against LGBTQ+ youth.

Lance Preston, the CEO of the Indianapolis-based Rainbow Youth Project, which has been working to assist queer youth in the state, posted a video expressing his frustration and anger over this death and the other anti-LGBTQ+ violence.

 

 

Oklahoma non-binary high schooler dies after physical altercation (losangelesblade.com)

[That Venice Bitch 28,511]

I edited the title, to better reflect what happened and to discredit the disturbingly passive headlines I've seen pertaining to this event

[Quincy 4,506]

What a tragedy. What’s almost as bad is I’m from Oklahoma and I barely heard about this. I only found out from someone’s story on IG and then saw this post.

 

If you search for it, the only story you get is from that article you cited. I’m not doubting it all. It’s just extra weird there’s barely any coverage about it. Even from local stations. 
 

Oklahoma is really a sad joke a lot of the time. 

[baddisease 17,953]

22 minutes ago, Quincy said:

What a tragedy. What’s almost as bad is I’m from Oklahoma and I barely heard about this. I only found out from someone’s story on IG and then saw this post.

 

If you search for it, the only story you get is from that article you cited. I’m not doubting it all. It’s just extra weird there’s barely any coverage about it. Even from local stations. 
 

Oklahoma is really a sad joke a lot of the time. 

 

could the media be using their dead name? a lot of trans people are murdered and their dead names are used instead of their actual name.

[Quincy 4,506]

5 minutes ago, baddisease said:

 

could the media be using their dead name? a lot of trans people are murdered and their dead names are used instead of their actual name.

I only tried searching “Oklahoma non-binary,” unless they’re using vaguer terms. Let me see. 
 

Edit:

Searched “Oklahoma death”

The only story on the first page is the one cited here. On the second page there was story Owasso High School student laid to rest after unexpected death otherwise nothing else. 

[bluechemtrails 27,324]

1 hour ago, Quincy said:

I only tried searching “Oklahoma non-binary,” unless they’re using vaguer terms. Let me see. 
 

Edit:

Searched “Oklahoma death”

The only story on the first page is the one cited here. On the second page there was story Owasso High School student laid to rest after unexpected death otherwise nothing else. 

I found some more news when searching for "owasso high school"

 

https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=3532b07490db4deb&q=Owasso+High+School&tbm=nws&source=lnms&prmd=invbtz&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiF57bSprmEAxXXX_EDHZzNDjMQ0pQJegQICBAB&biw=412&bih=888&dpr=2.63

[Embach 45,090]

RIP 

[Veinsineon 77,839]

rest in peace.

[The Siren 30,526]

lock them ["them" being the people who did it] up!

[baddisease 17,953]

On 2/20/2024 at 12:52 PM, The Siren said:

lock them ["them" being the people who did it] up!

 

While I try to maintain a stance of prison abolition (I can suggest some books about it!), this case makes me struggle to believe in it. Hate crimes need to be treated as terrorism cases imo.

[bluechemtrails 27,324]

the case is now even being reported in the largest German newspaper

https://www.bild.de/news/ausland/news-ausland/usa-nex-16-auf-der-schultoilette-zu-tode-gepruegelt-87254582.bild.html

[Morningcrow 3,688]

Seems to be all over now (NY Times, ABC, The Guardian, etc), but i haven't seen anything to indicate anything is being done in response. It angers me. Just let people live their life. Live is short, live it and stop worrying about what other people are doing or wearing or whatever. People are just trying to exist. So much hate in the world. 

[baddisease 17,953]

Nex's cause of death was "suicide".

 

 

LGBTQ student Nex Benedict died by suicide, Oklahoma medical examiner rules (nbcnews.com)

 

 

This reminds me of the death of Kendrick Johnson in all the worst ways. Kendrick Johnson was a black teen found dead inside a gym mat. There was hella racism at his school. One day he goes missing and is found in the mat. They treated it like it was his fault, an accident and refused to investigate properly. This feels the same way, a way of dismissing what happened at that school to Nex.