Ahead of the release of the full medical examiner’s report of Nex Benedict’s death, attorneys for the deceased teenager’s family say they're sharing details from the report not yet released.
Benedict, a nonbinary 16-year-old Owasso High School student, died by suicide Feb. 8 after a fight with other students in a school bathroom the day prior. A page of the report released to the media Wednesday says Benedict’s death stemmed from an overdose on prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
In a statement released Thursday through Biby Law Firm in Tulsa, the family alleges the full report showed the teenager had bruises on their head, blood in their eye and cuts on their face. The statement also claims Benedict had bruises on their torso consistent with a resuscitation attempt.
While the statement lists these injuries as non-lethal, Benedict’s family said they wanted to counter claims that the fight was insignificant.
“The Benedicts continue to call on our schools, administrators, lawmakers, and communities to come together to prevent any other family from having to suffer through the heartache now borne by Nex’s loved ones,” the attorneys’ statement reads.
Vigils and demonstrations across the country have been held in honor of Benedict, including outside the Oklahoma Capitol on Thursday. President Joe Biden said in.a statement this week that parents and schools “must take reports of bullying seriously” and called on the country to address suicide rates among nonbinary and transgender children in light of Benedict’s death.
A joint statement from eight Republican state representatives — including Mark Vancuren of Owasso and high-ranking education official Mark McBride — said “every human life is precious and created in the image of God regardless of who they are and who they love.”
Republican State Superintendent Ryan Walters expressed remorse for Benedict’s death, but said LGBTQ+ groups “pushing a false narrative are the biggest threat to our democracy.”
