US: Was Non-Binary Student Nex Benedict Pushed To Suicide By Bullies?

A non-binary teenager (pronouns: they/them) from Oklahoma, USA, was brutally beaten up by classmates in the school bathroom, leading to their death on February 8. In recent developments, an Oklahoma district attorney said on March 21 that he will not be filing charges in the case. Prosecutor Stephen Kunzweiler said, "From all of the evidence gathered, this fight was an instance of mutual combat. "I do not have a reasonable belief that the State of Oklahoma could sustain its burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt if charges were presented for prosecution." In a police bodycam footage, 16-year-old Nex Benedict from Owasso can be seen describing that they were allegedly attacked on February 7 for pouring water on some girls at school.

The teenager's mother called emergency responders later that day when Benedict's breathing was shallow, their eyes rolling back, and their hands curled. They died at the hospital a day later and soon sparked nationwide outrage demanding the resignation of the Oklahoma education superintendent for his anti-LGBTQ+ stance.

Nex Benedict Death

Vigils were held across the USA, seeking justice for non-binary student Nex Benedict's death. At Owasso High School, over 40 students walked out to protest what they describe as a pervasive culture of bullying with little accountability, which they believe led to their schoolmate's death. The medical examination ruled that Benedict died due to an overdose, which has been ruled as suicide.

Tulsa District Attorney Kunzweiler said that Owasso police discovered notes written by Benedict, "which appeared to be related to suicide." He declined to say what the notes said, citing privacy concerns for Benedict’s family. Before their death, the Owasso police recorded a statement from Sue Benedict, the deceased teen's mother, who said that she had been facing bullying for a while.

On February 7, the three girls began bullying Benedict. "I was talking with my friends, they were talking with their friends and we were laughing. And they had said something like, ‘Why do they laugh like that?’ And they were talking about us in front of us,” Benedict can be heard telling the police, as per the bodycam footage.

In response, Benedict splashed water from her bottle, which is when the fight got messy. Benedict described that the girls grabbed them by the hair and threw them on a tissue dispenser. They continued, “The girls got my legs out from under me and got me on the ground and started beating the sh*t out of me." Benedict said that they blacked out and weren't sure what happened next.

Their friend tried to help and the altercation was broken up by students and a teacher. Later that day, Sue Benedict noticed that Nex was not doing okay and called the 911 emergency hotline. They were taken to the hospital where they died a day later. While the death had earlier been linked to the physical assault, reports have now ruled it as suicide.

Oklahoma Anti-LGBTQ+ Policies

Nex Benedict's death has drawn attention to the major bullying issue and anti-LGBTQ+ policies in the US State. These policies include one that requires public school students to use only the bathroom that matches the sex listed on their birth certificate, a ban on the use of nonbinary gender markers on IDs, restrictions on gender-affirming care for trans youth; and bans on transgender girls participating in girls' sports, citing concerns about fairness.

Over 350 LGBTQ+ groups, activists, and celebrities across the USA have protested to demand the resignation of Ryan Walters as Oklahoma superintendent of public instruction, who has been open about his stance on recognising the genders that are "assigned at birth." The letter also demands an investigation into the state Department of Education to determine what actions and policies have led to an Anti-LGBTQ+ "culture"

In an open letter, Benedict's supporters wrote, “We are outraged that a climate of hate and bigotry has been not only allowed to thrive but encouraged by the person who is responsible for education in the state of Oklahoma. State officials must be held accountable for bringing the politics of hate into Oklahoma’s schools and making our most vulnerable youth pay the price.”

The letter further reads, "Superintendent Walters’ reprehensible conduct shows a willful rejection of his duty to protect the health and welfare of the children in Oklahoma’s public schools and instead has created an environment that allows for hostility and harm for youth like Nex."

The letter is addressed to six state legislators, calling on them to remove Walters from his position and investigate the Oklahoma Department of Education “to determine what actions and policies have led to a culture where rampant harassment of 2SLGBTQI+ (Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex)  students has been allowed to go unchecked.”

Walters responded to the criticism by addressing the media, "To make sure that all individuals are safe in a school, we want every student to be protected, we want every student to be successful. That also means we're not going to lie to students. And we're not going to push a gender ideology."

"When you are born, you have a gender: you either have an XX chromosome or an XY chromosome," Walters said. "We've seen radical leftists who've tried to create this idea of gender fluidity, which frankly, it confuses students, and causes all kinds of chaos in the classroom and chaos with families."