OK - Nex Benedict, 16 year old student died after being beaten in school restroom, Owasso, Feb 8 2024

[DFWNF]

but it says that it follows the impact and lasts 'several seconds'
Nex died the next day
did Nex have another incident with trauma to the head the next day?

I have no idea, I was responding to someone up thread.

 

[LadyL]

what was Mom's answer when the 911 operator asked if Nex had done any drugs?

 

[Rosydecember]

Owasso Police did, however, release multiple video and audio clips surrounding its investigation into Benedict's death Friday. It's just one of multiple decisions some legal experts are calling unusual.

SFBM - I don’t know if it’s unusual… I mean they released the videos for that teenager charged with allegedly killing her baby at the hospital and hiding the fact she gave birth. MOO

 

[IzzyBlanche]

And the backtracking begins.

Fight hasn’t been ruled out as cause of Nex Benedict’s death, police say

A police spokesman said previous statements that Nex Benedict didn’t die as a result of “trauma” didn’t rule out the fight as a contributing factor.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[housewife]

And the backtracking begins.

Fight hasn’t been ruled out as cause of Nex Benedict’s death, police say

A police spokesman said previous statements that Nex Benedict didn’t die as a result of “trauma” didn’t rule out the fight as a contributing factor.

www.nbcnews.com

And they keep using the word "fight", as if it wasn't a physical ambush of 3 on 1.

Words are important. The victim did not cause their own murder. The word "fight" is intentionally used to equally place blame on the victim as well as the three attackers.

 

[iusedtofloat]

Sounds that way to me.
Did the police release the interview, thinking it would prove they did a great job and eliminate public speculation, but it backfired when people saw the incident being downplayed by the school officer?

Seemingly so...

 

[Izzylizzy]

On Feb. 16, Oklahoma Watch reporter Jennifer Palmer submitted a public records request to the city of Owasso seeking access to all police reports related to the fight and Benedict’s death. The city denied the reporter’s request, citing the involvement of minors in the incident and the police department’s ongoing investigation.

Days after rejecting Palmer’s request, the Owasso Police Department released some records related to the incident, including a search warrant affidavit, surveillance camera footage from the school, and police body-worn camera video showing an officer’s interaction with Benedict’s family at the hospital.

In a letter sent to Owasso Police Department Captain Shaun Jones on Feb. 26, Reporters Committee Local Legal Initiative Attorney Denver Nicks commended the police department for taking an “important step” toward transparency. However, he wrote that the department’s denial of Palmer’s request for police reports does not comply with the Oklahoma Open Records Act.

The letter pointed out that the Owasso Police Department is required by law to turn over initial incident reports in response to a public records request regardless of the status of any ongoing investigation. Additionally, the letter stated, the law does not permit the police department to withhold all records simply because the incident involves juveniles. Instead, the police department is required under the Open Records Act to release responsive records with exempt information redacted

Owasso Police Department must release reports related to nonbinary teen’s death

The Owasso PD denied a reporter’s request for police reports related to the death of Nex Benedict after the 16-year-old was involved in a school fight.

www.rcfp.org

https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24444234/2024-02-26-rcfp-letter-re-nex-benedict-records-request.pdf

<modsnip> IMO: an LE officer jumping the gun and claiming that Nex didn't die from head trauma caused by the fight is not surprising.
<modsnip>

Death of nonbinary teen renews scrutiny of anti-trans rhetoric​

AP News
https://apnews.com › article › nonbinary-student-death-...



6 days ago — The death of a nonbinary high school student Nex Benedict in Oklahoma has renewed scrutiny of anti-trans polices over gender identity.

Advocates, lawmakers link nonbinary Oklahoma teen's ...​

The Hill
https://thehill.com › homenews › lgbtq › 4481797-non...



7 days ago — As the shocking death of a nonbinary Oklahoma high school student reverberates through the LGBTQ community, advocacy groups and state and ...

<modsnip: off topic>

 

[Izzylizzy]

OMG!
What lazy and inept reporting from CBS with no updated correction to boot.

The officer who claimed that NB didn't die from injuries from the fight had to walk it back admitting that he wasn't explicitly told that by the coroner.

Community searching for answers after nonbinary teen ...

CBS News
https://www.cbsnews.com › CBS Evening News

19 hours ago — A preliminary autopsy report said Nex Benedict did not die of injuries from the fight, but the harassment they faced is familiar to LGBTQ+ ...

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Benedict’ ‘s untimely death has amassed huge support from the local LGBTQ community and allies in Oklahoma. NBC News reported, Benedict’s name has become a rallying cry nationwide, with advocates around the world drawing attention to the alleged bullying Benedict faced inside school.

Vigils honoring Benedict have happened across the state, click here to see a list of those.

https://kfor.com/news/local/owasso-authorities-continue-to-investigate-the-death-of-a-16-year-old-student/

Owasso police provided some clarification to their initial statement saying that Benedict “did not die as a result of trauma,” telling NBC News on Tuesday that the medical examiner’s office did not say it had ruled out the fight as a contributing factor in the 16-year-old’s Feb. 8 death.

Lt. Nick Boatman said that the statement came from “preliminary information” from the medical examiner’s office and did not mean injuries Benedict may have sustained in the fight didn’t cause his death.

“We did not interpret that in any way,” Boatman said of the word “trauma,” which was the word used by the medical examiner’s office.

“People shouldn’t make assumptions either way,” he added.

Fight has not been ruled out as cause of nonbinary teen Nex Benedict’s death: report

Authorities have not ruled out that a fight at school may have contributed to the death of nonbinary teen Nex Benedict — who died a day after getting beaten by bullies in an Oklahoma high school ba…

nypost.com

 

[MyBelle]

Benedict’ ‘s untimely death has amassed huge support from the local LGBTQ community and allies in Oklahoma. NBC News reported, Benedict’s name has become a rallying cry nationwide, with advocates around the world drawing attention to the alleged bullying Benedict faced inside school.

Vigils honoring Benedict have happened across the state, click here to see a list of those.

https://kfor.com/news/local/owasso-authorities-continue-to-investigate-the-death-of-a-16-year-old-student/

Owasso police provided some clarification to their initial statement saying that Benedict “did not die as a result of trauma,” telling NBC News on Tuesday that the medical examiner’s office did not say it had ruled out the fight as a contributing factor in the 16-year-old’s Feb. 8 death.

Lt. Nick Boatman said that the statement came from “preliminary information” from the medical examiner’s office and did not mean injuries Benedict may have sustained in the fight didn’t cause his death.

“We did not interpret that in any way,” Boatman said of the word “trauma,” which was the word used by the medical examiner’s office.

“People shouldn’t make assumptions either way,” he added.

Fight has not been ruled out as cause of nonbinary teen Nex Benedict’s death: report

Authorities have not ruled out that a fight at school may have contributed to the death of nonbinary teen Nex Benedict — who died a day after getting beaten by bullies in an Oklahoma high school ba…

nypost.com

BBM. National news media is expanding coverage. Organizations requesting an investigation into the OK Dept. of Education and removal of Walters.
JMO

Oklahoma education superintendent under fire for anti-LGBTQ rhetoric after Nex Benedict's death

Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters is standing by policies affecting the transgender community in schools following the death of 16-year-old Nex Benedict.

abcnews.go.com

However, an open letter is calling for Walters' immediate removal from office for, the letter claims, "fostering a culture of violence and hate against the 2SLGBTQI+ community in Oklahoma schools." The letter is signed by about 350 local, state, and national organizations, including GLAAD, Human Rights Campaign, Oklahomans for Equality and more.

 

[seasideForest]

Benedict's mother is Choctaw Nation (indigenous) and the school Benedict attended is on Cherokee Nation Reservation. Binary persons are called 2-spirit among Canadian First Nations and I assume the same in the US. The article linked below contains reactions from Canadian First Nations people to the death of Benedict.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/2-spirit-indigiqueer-mourn-oklahoma-teen-1.7124184

 

[iamshadow21]

Two-spirit - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[SMK777]

Sorry I’m just catching up, is it possible that Nex’s death didn’t have to do with the fight at the school the previous day?

There seems to be much vagueness from everyone, I’m starting to wonder if it’s possible that this may be suicide? I still think the other girls should be held responsible if Nex died as a result or in response to the bullying.

I’m not up to speed on this case, but I do remember reading articles that the medical examiner ruled the death was not caused by physical trauma, so I had also wondered about suicide.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

I’m not up to speed on this case, but I do remember reading articles that the medical examiner ruled the death was not caused by physical trauma, so I had also wondered about suicide.

BBM for focus:

Respectfully, this was misleading info put out by the Owasso PD and it is not correct.

Fight hasn’t been ruled out as cause of Nex Benedict’s death, police say

A police spokesman said previous statements that Nex Benedict didn’t die as a result of “trauma” didn’t rule out the fight as a contributing factor.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[SMK777]

BBM for focus:

Respectfully, this was misleading info put out by the Owasso PD and it is not correct.

Fight hasn’t been ruled out as cause of Nex Benedict’s death, police say

A police spokesman said previous statements that Nex Benedict didn’t die as a result of “trauma” didn’t rule out the fight as a contributing factor.

www.nbcnews.com

Oh, thank you for that information!

 

[seasideForest]

Two-spirit - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Thank you @iamshadow for providing this additional information. Up till now I've often seen "2-spirit" in use but didn't know all the background story.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

This is good news.

Education Department to open investigation into Nex Benedict's Oklahoma school district

Benedict, a 16-year-old transgender student, died last month after a fight with three students in a school bathroom, drawing global media attention.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[IzzyBlanche]

There are some firsthand accounts here about bullying from former Owasso students. You have to scroll down pretty far.

US Department of Ed begins probe into gender-based harassment at Nex Benedict’s school district

Several former Owasso High School students said they saw themselves in what happened to Nex Benedict.

www.usatoday.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

On February 21, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, Human Rights Campaign, filed a complaint requesting that federal education officials investigate “the circumstances leading to the death of Nex Benedict,” and alleged a “failure of Owasso High School to address documented instances of bullying, violence, and harassment.”

In a letter to the Human Rights Campaign, the Department of Education said it will be investigating whether Owasso Public Schools complied with Title IX sex-based discrimination protections and Title II disability discrimination protections when investigating allegations of harassment within its schools.

“The district is committed to cooperating with federal officials and believes the complaint submitted by HRC is not supported by the facts and is without merit,” said Owasso Public Schools spokesperson Brock Crawford in a statement on Friday.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/02/us/nex-benedict-oklahoma-doe-investigation/index.html

 

[Mack the Knife]

Was looking and hoping to find an update on any of the related investigations. No luck there, but I did come across this nice article written by a trans man reflecting on Nex’s gender expression and experience: A Trans Teen Died After Being Bullied. This Is Why I Can’t Look Away.
It is something I’ve been thinking about a lot; young people are learning and figuring out their identities, and that would include gender identity….It can be confusing to try and be respectful to what kids express while still acknowledging that that isn’t fixed and they need the space to change. I appreciated the author’s perspective here.