GLAAD ELEVATES FAMILY OF NEX BENEDICT IN OWASSO, OKLAHOMA, URGING A FULL, FAIR AND EXPEDIENT INVESTIGATION OF NEX’S DEATH AND ALL RESPONSIBLE PARTIES

GLAAD RELEASES ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FOR REPORTERS TO COVER NEX’S DEATH ACCURATELY AND TO ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY FROM NEX’S SCHOOL, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND STATE LEADERSHIP

Benedict family attorney: “While various investigations are still pending, the facts currently known by the family, some of which have been released to the public, are troubling at best. We urge those tasked with investigating and prosecuting all potentially liable parties to do so fully, fairly and expediently. Notwithstanding, the family is independently interviewing witnesses and collecting all available evidence. The Benedict Family calls on all school, local, state and national officials to join forces to determine why this happened, to hold those responsible to account and to ensure it never happens again.”

GLAAD: “The death of Nex Benedict must be fully investigated and accurately reported for the necessary justice the family seeks and for the safety of every LGBTQ student and their peers.The facts are clear: Nex’s death followed a brutal beating in the school bathroom, after reports of bullying at school, after years of harmful and discriminatory policy and legislation that continue to make all students less safe. Every student, teacher and family needs to know that violence and bullying will not be tolerated, and that they can be themselves, be safe and belong in their school and communities.”

(New York, NY – Thursday, February 22, 2024) – GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, is elevating urgent information from the family of 16-year-old Nex Benedict, a nonbinary student from Owasso, Oklahoma, who was beaten in an attack in the school bathroom on February 7th and died the next day.

GLAAD is also releasing additional guidance for reporters covering Nex’s death to ensure accurate coverage of Nex’s life and accountability for all that led to Nex’s death.

Statement from GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis:
“The death of Nex Benedict must be fully investigated and accurately reported for the necessary justice their family seeks and for the safety of every LGBTQ student and their peers. The facts are clear: Nex’s death followed a brutal beating in the school bathroom, after reports of bullying at school, after years of targeted, harmful and discriminatory anti-LGBTQ policy and legislation that continue to make all students less safe. Every student, teacher and family needs to know that violence and bullying will not be tolerated, and that they can be themselves, be safe and belong in their school and communities.”

Via a post last night from KOTV Tulsa reporter Cal Day, the attorney representing the family of Nex Benedict released a statement:

“On February 7th, 2024, the Benedict Family sent their child, Nex Benedict, to Owasso High School, trusting, like any parent or family member should be able to, that it was a safe environment for their loved one. Millions of parents across America make the same decision each and every morning. While at Owasso High School, Nex was attacked and assaulted in a bathroom by a group of other students. A day later, the Benedict’s beautiful child lost their life.

Many of the questions posed by friends, family, media and other concerned citizens are also top of mind for those left to honor Nex’s memory. While various investigations are still pending, the facts currently known by the family, some of which have been released to the public, are troubling at best. We urge those tasked with investigating and prosecuting all potentially liable parties to do so fully, fairly and expediently. Notwithstanding, the family is independently interviewing witnesses and collecting all available evidence. The Benedict Family calls on all school, local, state and national officials to join forces to determine why this happened, to hold those responsible to account and to ensure it never happens again.

The family graciously accepts and appreciates the outpouring of support, thoughts and prayers from across the nation for the loss of their child. In the coming weeks and months they request that their privacy be respected and that they be allowed to grieve and deal with their new reality—a life without Nex. The Benedicts know all too well the devastating effects of bullying and school violence, and pray for meaningful change wherein bullying is taken seriously and no family has to deal with another preventable tragedy.

Lastly, the family asks that any threats, or acts, of violence, against students, employees and personnel, or any other persons associated with the Owasso Public Schools, cease immediately.”

 The facts:

• Nex, a nonbinary sophomore at Owasso High School, was attacked in the school bathroom on February 7th by a group of students.

• The school did not call police to report the attack, and did not call an ambulance to expedite treatment of Nex’s injuries. The school claims this is protocol. It has not offered evidence the protocol exists to prove how it was followed.

• Nex’s mother, Sue Benedict told The Independent that Nex was “badly beaten in a fight with three older students in a bathroom and hit their head on the floor. Nex collapsed at home the next day and was later pronounced dead in hospital. The exact cause of death is currently unknown.”

• At least one classmate of Nex’s witnessed the assault, but reported not being asked to give an eyewitness account to law enforcement.

• Sue Benedict told The Independent that Nex had been bullied by students at Owasso High School for more than a year, beginning after state lawmakers passed a bill requiring public school students to use bathrooms that matched their sex assigned at birth.

• The Oklahoman reported from a police search warrant that “police were called to an Owasso hospital shortly after 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 7 in response to a report that Nex had been injured in a fight at school. Sue Benedict wanted to report the assault and asked police to talk with school administrators about what had happened.”

• Nex was released from the hospital and returned the following day, with Sue Benedict calling 911 to say that Nex had been in a fight at school and had hit their head.

• Nex died the day after being attacked, on Feb. 8.

Best Practices for Reporters

Rather than repeat statements from the school and local law enforcement, ask for verification and documentation:

• “Protocol was followed” – what school protocol and where is this information available?

• “Statements were taken” from students involved in the fight: where is this information documented, in whose custody, and when will this information be publicly available (redacted for necessary privacy of students)? Who took statements, local police or school officials, or both? At least one student eyewitness reported as late as Feb. 20 that they had not been contacted by police for an interview. Ask to review the school nurse’s notes evaluating the injured student/s and when they were created and filed.

• Ask police why they chose to release incomplete information from the medical examiner while other details would not be available for weeks, and how they can say Nex “did not die as a result of trauma.” Witnesses and Nex’s mother noted injuries to Nex’s head so severe Nex needed medical attention. Avoid headlines that elevate police statements indicating cause of death/not cause of death. Accurately report: the medical examiner’s report is not complete.

• A student eyewitness, who reports not being asked to give testimony to police, said:

“I saw [their] head get slammed into the paper towel dispenser twice,” said Perez. “Like first it came open and then it came off of the hinge on one side.”

• Another quote from one of the earliest reports:

  “I know at one point, one of the girls was pretty much repeatedly beating [their] head across the floor,” the source told KJRH.

• Avoid repeating inaccurate police terminology like “altercation” that can diminish the severity and intensity of the crime. Accurate descriptions include – a fight, a beating, 3-against-1 assault, that preceded a student’s death.

• Ask school officials how they can be sure the fight “only” lasted two minutes, and why the school monitor outside the bathroom didn’t intervene sooner.

• Ask school officials about educational follow-ups to the incident including counseling and resources for shocked and grieving students, academic and curriculum plans to prevent bullying, and for accurate and inclusive education to increase understanding and safety of LGBTQ people, youth, families.

Recognize and report that the school’s statement, issued purportedly to “correct misinformation,” is void of actual information including from eyewitnesses even two weeks after the attack on Nex Benedict. Nor does it link to formal policies and protocols it says it allegedly followed following the beating in the school bathroom. Follow up to ask for this formal documentation of policies, and evidence that statements from witnesses had been gathered, by whom, and when.

Ask school officials for any documentation and follow-up to claims by the family and others that Nex was bullied at school. Look into the school, school district, and state education leader history with LGBTQ students and bullying. (See here for Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walter’s LGBTQ record).

Ask school officials and the school board how they will prevent, investigate and respond to bullying incidents.

Ask state education leaders and lawmakers when they will redirect resources and rhetoric advocating for book bans and bathroom bans to instead codify formal protections specifically to protect LGBTQ students from bullying. Ask when they will withdraw policies that target rather than protect marginalized students.

Ask lawmakers and state education leaders when they will repeal the harmful ban on students from the bathroom consistent with their gender identity and trans students from school sports, efforts that further marginalize, ostracize and endanger vulnerable youth.

Report research that shows transgender  students face a higher risk of assault in locker rooms and bathrooms that don’t match gender identity, are more likely to miss school than other students, and more likely to report feeling unsafe at school and being bullied.

Additional context

• This week, news from an FBI report shows that from 2018 to 2022, the number of hate crimes in schools nearly doubled.

• Research from GLAAD and the Center on Extremism counted 700+ anti-LGBTQ incidents of extremism including violence, assaults, murders, or vandalism last year.