A federal investigation into Owasso Public Schools following the death of a nonbinary student earlier this year reveals the district violated federal rules when it came to reporting sexual harassment.
16-year-old Owasso student Nex Benedict died by suicide in February after a fight in a school bathroom. Benedict told police the girls who pinned them to the ground and “beat the s*** out of” them had picked on them for how they dressed.
After the fight, a police officer told Benedict the school district “dropped the ball” by not contacting the police.
Members of the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights say they found “repeated instances” over a three-year period where district staff were told about possible sexual harassment but did not explain federal Title IX complaint reporting guidelines. The feds also say staff did not offer support such as counseling or schedule changes to those bringing the complaints.
The complaints include details of a teacher sending inappropriate messages to students over social media. Multiple students reported experiencing slurs, harassment and physical assault.
A news release from USDE says the district failed to counsel students on Title IX regulations even after Benedict’s death.
“As a result, OCR found that the district’s pattern of inconsistent responses to reports it received of sexual harassment – infrequently responding under Title IX or not responding at all – rose to the level that the district’s response to some families’ sexual harassment reports was deliberately indifferent to students’ civil rights,” says the release.
In response, the district signed an agreement to train staff and students on Title IX reporting, including on how to prepare documentation. The agreement also requires the district to conduct a survey on sexual harassment and issue anti-harassment and nondiscrimination statements to the community.
While the USDE news release says the district entered into the agreement to “remedy violations of Title IX,” district spokesperson Jordan Korphage pointed to language saying the district doesn’t admit wrongdoing.
In a letter to parents, Superintendent Dr. Margaret Coates said the original complaint to the feds from the Human Rights Campaign “was based on inaccurate information,” but the district nevertheless supports the resolution.
“(It) reaffirms our dedication to fostering a non-discriminatory and harassment-free environment for all students and ensures the district will continue to receive federal funding,” Coates said in the letter.
Benedict’s death spurred demonstrations throughout Oklahoma and the country. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris posted on X after Benedict’s death, saying her heart goes out to their “family, friends, and their entire community.”
Human Rights Campaign Kelley Robinson said the resolution “leaves no doubt” that Owasso Public Schools failed Benedict “and many other vulnerable students under their care.”
“While no accountability measure can fully heal the grief and anger that Nex’s family and this community feels, today, a message has been sent: Trans and non-binary students have worth. They and all students have rights, regardless of who is in the White House. And they deserve the same access to a quality and safe education – just like every other child in America,” Robinson said.
