The death of Oklahoma student Nex Benedict was ruled a suicide, according to a coroner's report released Wednesday.
The 16-year-old transgender boy, who used he or they pronouns, died on Feb. 8, the day after a fight at Owasso High School, friends and family said. His name has become a rallying cry among LGBTQ activists, who say an onslaught of bills targeting the community are making schools less safe for gay and transgender students like Nex. claims.
According to reports, Nex told her mother that she was bullied at school because of her gender identity, and body camera footage released by police last month hours after the fight at school shows her at the hospital. Mr. Nex is shown lying on the bed. In the video, he told officers how he “jumped off” after three students were bullying him and his friend because of the way they dressed, and water was thrown on them.
On February 21, the Owasso Police Department released preliminary information from an autopsy report indicating Nex's death was not due to trauma. A few days later, a ministry spokesperson clarified that the possibility that the fight had contributed to his death had not been ruled out.
The Benedict family's attorney, Jacob Bibby, and a spokesperson for Owasso Public Schools did not respond to requests for comment on the medical examiner's report.
Owasso High School students organized a walkout on Feb. 26 to protest what they say is a pervasive culture of bullying that often goes unpunished. Kane, one of the walkout organizers who asked to be identified only by her first name to protect her privacy, said students at the time speculated that Nex had died by suicide. But for Kane, who is non-binary, bullying was a major factor in Nex's death.
“We also had a problem with bullying. This time it got so bad that a student died,” Cain said ahead of last month's strike. “For me, it doesn't matter whether Nex died from a traumatic brain injury or from suicide. What matters is the fact that they died after being bullied, and that's the same for many other students. That's the thing. I was trying to stop it myself because of the bullying. That's not new to a lot of students.”
LGBTQ advocates and the medical community have long warned that gay youth face disproportionate rates of mental health issues.
A 2022 survey conducted by The Trevor Project, an LGBTQ youth suicide prevention organization, found that more than 40% of LGBTQ 13- to 24-year-olds said they had seriously considered attempting suicide in the previous year, compared to transgender and non-binary people. Respondents reported even higher rates. The same survey of nearly 28,000 LGBTQ youth found that 14% had attempted suicide in the past year, including 1 in 5 transgender respondents. Ta.
Earlier this month, the Department of Education launched an investigation into whether Nex High School failed to adequately respond to sexual harassment. The investigation began after Nex's death, after the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBTQ advocacy group, filed a complaint with the department. Owasso Public Schools spokesman Brock Crawford said at the time that the investigation was “not supported by fact and is of no value.”
Human Rights Campaign President Kelly Robinson reiterated Wednesday that the organization is calling for an investigation into Nex's death.
“Nex should still be here today because it failed so many people,” she said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the families facing the devastating reality that their beloved teenage children with bright futures no longer make this world a brighter place.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or chat with us on Live Chat. 988lifeline.org.You can also visit SpeakerOfSuicide.com/Resources for additional support.
If you are an at-risk LGBTQ youth, feeling suicidal, or just need a safe, non-judgmental place to talk, contact TrevorLifeline today at 1-866-488-7386 or Rainbow Call Youth Project at 1-317-643. 4888.