#NexBenedict, #Oklahoma#nonbinary teen died after #school fight amid reported #bullying
…The [statement] from the school district provided some background: The fight on Feb 7 involved several students at the HS. It was broken up by other students & a staff member. All of those involved “walked under their own power to the asst principal’s office & nurse’s office” &, per “district protocols,” were evaluated by the nurse.
Ofcls did not summon an ambulance or police, in keeping w/those protocols, the stmnt said. However, it continued, “out of an abundance of caution, it was recommended to one parent that their student visit a medical facility for further examination.”
One of Nex’s cousins filled in details…. Sue Benedict picked her grandchild up from school on that Wed & took Nex to a hospital for an MRI given the bad facial bruises & scratches she saw….
Sue Benedict, who had adopted Nex, contacted police to report what had happened at the HS, Broene said.
The next morning, Nex collapsed at home & Benedict rushed them back to the hospital.
#Owasso is a Tulsa suburb of about 40k in the NE corner of #Oklahoma, a #conservative state where #LGBTQ+ issues are lightning rods of controversy.
Last year, #Republican Gov #KevinStitt signed an executive order defining an individual’s sex as the “biological sex” at birth. Laws took effect requiring students to use bathrooms that match their sex assigned at birth & restricting #gender-affirming care for trans youths.
This year, [Oklahoma] legislators already have proposed >50 anti-LGBTQ+ laws — more than any other state, according to the ACLU.
The man who heads #PublicEducation in #Oklahoma is also a vocal critic of #LGBTQ+ rights. Superintendent #RyanWalters appointed #ChayaRaichik — the #conservative activist behind #LibsOfTikTok, which has targeted LGBTQ-friendly teachers at #Owasso schools — to a state library advisory board.
Sue Benedict told TheIndependent she was called to the school that day to find #NexBenedict badly beaten w/bruises over their face & eyes, & w/scratches on the back of their head.
Nex told her that they & another #transgender student at #Owasso HS had been in a fight w/3 older girls in a girls bathroom. Nex was knocked to the ground during the fight & hit their head on the floor….
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