Dozens of students at Owasso High School in Oklahoma walked out on Monday in the wake of the death of Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old who died on Feb. 8, one day after being beaten in a school restroom. The students said they were protesting a culture of bullying and a lack of response by school officials.
Police released footage last week showing an interview with Benedict, who describes how three girls “jumped” them after they threw water at them. When the officer asked Nex why they had been getting bullied, Benedict said it was “because of the way that we dress.”
At a vigil for the sophomore this weekend, several of Benedict’s friends told NBC News’ Jo Yurcaba that Benedict was transgender. They said that Benedict used he/him pronouns at school but also used they/them pronouns.
LGBTQ+ and other students at the walkout on Monday told NBC News that they feel as if the school doesn’t adequately respond to bullying. Even when students report bullying, they said, nothing seems to change.
“There’s been bullying issues. This time, the bullying has gone so far that a student passed,” a student organizer named Kane told NBC News. “To me, it doesn’t matter if Nex passed from a traumatic brain injury or if they passed from suicide. What matters is the fact that they died after getting bullied, and that is the story for so many other students. I’ve been close to ending it myself because of bullying. It’s not new for so many students.”
The Owasso Police Department released a preliminary statement on Facebook last week, noting that after an autopsy was performed, the medical examiner’s office determined that Benedict “did not die as a result of trauma. The cause of Benedict’s death is still pending until the toxicology exam and official autopsy repeat are released, which will inform police whether to arrest or charge individuals involved.”
Benedict’s family has questioned this conclusion and told The Independent that they are…
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