An Oklahoma teen reportedly died earlier this month after being attacked at their high school.
Dagny “Nex” Benedict — a nonbinary 16-year-old who used they/them pronouns — died on February 8, a day after being attacked in a girls’ bathroom at Owasso High School West Campus. The Oklahoman reported that one of Benedict’s parents contacted police about the attack, which the school never reported to authorities.
A school resource officer took a report at the hospital, where police had responded following the initial call made by Benedict’s parent.
The Oklahoman reported that Benedict was rushed back to the hospital a day after the altercation. They were pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
The Washington Post reported that Benedict was bullied for being nonbinary. For reference, the Mayo Clinic describes a nonbinary person as someone “whose gender identity is a combination of or goes beyond the gender binary of female and male.”
School district officials said in a statement that a staff member and other students broke up the altercation that transpired on February 7. Though officials claimed that a nurse evaluated everyone involved in the fight, they admitted that staff did not call for an ambulance or police.
“While it was determined that ambulance service was not required, out of an abundance of caution, it was recommended to one parent that their student visit a medical facility for further examination,” school officials explained.
Meanwhile, KOKI obtained text messages in which Benedict allegedly mentioned being “jumped” by three people.
“They had been bullying me and my friends and I got tired of it so I poured some water on them and all 3 came after me,” Benedict allegedly wrote. “School did not report to the police.”
Benedict’s cause of death is unconfirmed as autopsy and toxicology results are pending. As a result, charges have not yet been filed in this case.
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[Feature Photo: Nex Benedict/GoFundMe]
