Nex Benedict died one day after being assaulted in a high school bathroom.
The 16-year-old had been bullied for being a transgender teen in the past but their mother would also encourage them to ‘rise above their bullies.’ However, she didn’t know just how bad the situation had become.
On February 7, the bullying led to a violent ‘physical altercation’, during which Nex suffered severe injuries to the head.
Their mother was subsequently called to pick them up. Upon arriving at the school, however, she noticed Nex was covered with bruises on their eyes and face, as well as noticeable wounds on the head.
According to Nex, they and a fellow transgender student had gotten into a fight with a group of older students in the bathroom, during which they were thrown to the floor and hit their head.
Nex’s mother was furious that the school didn’t call the police or ambulance. She was also told that Nex would be suspended from school for at least two weeks.
She eventually took Nex to Bailey Medical Center for a medical exam, where they talked to a school resource officer. They were later discharged.
That evening, Nex went to sleep with a pounding head.
The next day, as Nex was preparing to leave the house for an appointment with their mom, they collapsed in the living room.
Nex’s mom immediately called for an ambulance and when the medical team arrived, they found Nex unconscious and not breathing. They were transported to the Emergency Room at St. Francis Pediatric Hospital. Despite the doctors’ best efforts, however, she passed away.
According to a spokesperson for the Owasso Police Department, they will wait for the autopsy report and toxicology results before determining whether or not anyone was involved in their death.
Since then, many L advocacy groups have described the incident as a ‘hate crime’. Some have also linked it to the hateful messages spewed by Chaya Raichik, who posted numerous anti-trans videos on TikTok, targeting librarians and teachers.
Understanding Their Gender Fluidity
Nex’s parents, Walter and Sue Benedict, struggled to comprehend Nex’s gender fluidity at the beginning. Sue, who is Nex’s biological grandmother, had adopted Nex a few years ago after taking them in when they were just two months old.
According to Sue, Nex had always been understanding if she accidentally used their birth name or used the wrong pronoun.
Nex’s sister, Malia confirmed that Nex’s gender identity was never an issue for the family, who was very open to questions and discussions about the topic.
They were extremely proud of Nex, who was a straight-A teen who enjoyed reading, drawing, and playing Minecraft.
Update:
On February 21, the Owasso police department issued a statement saying that Nex had not died as a result of their head injury.
Through their lawyers, the Benedict family also released a statement saying that they would be conducting their own investigation into the teen’s death. They also described some of the facts surrounding their sudden death as ‘troubling at best.’
