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There's an outcry in Oklahoma after the death of a transgender student that has sparked demands for answers.
In Oklahoma, the death of a transgender student after they were assaulted in a school bathroom has sparked widespread outrage and sorrow. Nex Benedict, a sophomore at Owasso High School, was brutally beaten by other students earlier this month and died the following day. The incident has drawn national attention, with many attributing the violent act to a culture of transphobia they say is being stoked by state officials.
Related: Libs of TikTok creator accuses NBC News of stochastic terrorism after bomb threat investigation
The assault on Benedict, 16, happened on February 7, when three older girls attacked them in the girls’ bathroom, Tulsa NBC affiliate KJRH reports. A teacher intervened to stop the fight. Staff didn't call an ambulance, the outlet noted.
Benedict's grandmother, who was their guardian, took the teenager to the hospital that day. They went back the next day after Benedict became ill. Benedict died that evening.
The grandmother, Sue Benedict, toldThe Independent that her child had been the subject of months of intensifying bullying that began earlier in 2023 after Oklahoma’s Republican-led government barred transgender students from using school bathrooms that align with their gender identity.
“I didn’t know how bad it had gotten,” she told the outlet.
Benedict told their grandmother that they and another trans student had fought the other students in the bathroom, according to The Independent. The teen told her they'd hit their head on the floor.
Sue Benedict said she was told by the school that her grandchild had received a two-week suspension after the assault. She said she was enraged that medical services weren't called even though Nex had bruises on their face.
“I was very open with my children to be who and what they thought was best,” Sue Benedict told the outlet.“They could talk to me about anything, as long as that respect goes both ways. A child needs to figure out who they are and what they want to be, and you cannot force it upon them.”
“Nex did not see themselves as male or female,” Sue Benedict said. “Nex saw themselves right down the middle. I was still learning about it, Nex was teaching me that.”
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Owasso Police Department Chief Dan Yancey provided a statement to The Advocate, shedding light on the investigation’s progress:
“On February 7th, 2024, at approximately 3:30 p.m., the Owasso Police Department was summoned to a local hospital in reference to a report of a student who had been involved in a physical altercation at the Owasso High School prior to the end of school that day. No report of the incident was made to the Owasso Police Department prior to the notification at the hospital. Information was taken by a School Resource Officer who responded to the hospital. On February 8th, 2024, the Owasso Police Department was made aware that the juvenile was rushed back to a hospital, where the student was pronounced dead. It is not known at this time if the death is related to the incident at the school or not. A thorough investigation is being conducted by Owasso Police Detectives who are currently awaiting an autopsy report and toxicology results.”
Yancey continued, “We understand that people are concerned about this incident and we can assure everyone that this incident is being taken seriously and is being investigated thoroughly. Detectives are and will be interviewing school staff and students over the course of the next two weeks and in turn will be submitting our investigation to the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution review. A final cause and manner of death will be determined by the State Medical Examiner’s Office."
This incident has ignited a debate about the safety of transgender and nonbinary students in schools, the responsibility of educational leaders to foster inclusive environments, and the potential consequences of spreading harmful ideologies.
Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s superintendent of public instruction, is facing intense scrutiny over his ties to Chaya Raichik, the figure behind the far-right Libs of TikTok hate account, and for their outspoken stance against transgender rights. Critics argue that Walters’s rhetoric and policies have contributed to an environment that enables hate crimes.
“Heartbroken to learn about the non-binary student who was beate[n] to death at their Owasso school. That same district was targeted by the self-described 'stochastic terrorist' who runs Libs of TikTok. Chaya Raichik now sits on OK's library advisory board,” wrote Oklahoma City news anchor Wendy Suares on X, formerly Twitter.
Walters has served as the state’s top education official for three years and has been a vocal opponent of what he describes as “radical gender theory.”
The involvement of Raichik, appointed by Walters to the Oklahoma Department of Education’s Library Media Advisory Committee in January despite having no background in education nor living in Oklahoma, adds another layer of controversy. Since the news of Benedict’s death spread, Raichik has been tweeting up a storm, attempting to deflect potential blame and position herself as a victim. In one tweet, she contested the record surrounding the incident, writing, “Worth noting this title is a flat out lie. The student got in a fight at school, went home, then went to the hospital," added that they were "evaluated and released."
Raichik added that Benedict went to the hospital again the next day, where they died. "Nobody was k*lled at school," she wrote. She continued that there hasn't been evidence released that Benedict was killed over their identity.
Raichik further claimed to be a target of unjust accusations, writing, “The media blamed a m*rder on me and now I’m getting death threats. I’ve been reliably informed this is stochastic terrorism.” However, critics argue it is Raichik herself who has utilized stochastic terrorism tactics through her targeting of LGBTQ+ people.
NBC News and USA Todayfound in separate investigations that schools around the country have faced bomb threats after Raichik highlighted them on her Libs of TikTok platform. After the USA Today article was published, Raichik posted a photo of herself holding the paper and smiling.
“Nex had a light in them that was so big, they had so many dreams. I want their light to keep shining for everyone," their grandmother told The Independent. "That light was so big and bright and beautiful, and I want everyone to remember Nex that way.”
