Death of “Nonbinary” Student in Oklahoma Used Politically by the Left

On February 8, Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old female student at Owasso High School in Oklahoma, died in the hospital — one day after an altercation with some other female students in a school restroom. Despite an autopsy indicating that the student did not die as a result of trauma, both local and national media are using the girl’s unfortunate death as a political club against public officeholders, particularly in Oklahoma. Nex identified as “nonbinary.”

Vigils honoring her — described with the pronouns of they/them/their — have been held in various sites in the Sooner state, and in other states as well, including California, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and Texas. One can safely predict that there will be more such vigils.

According to what Benedict told police, three other girls were picking on her and some friends, making fun of them for the way they laughed, and she retaliated by throwing water on them, elevating the altercation into a physical confrontation. Other students in the restroom, as well as teachers who then entered the restroom, broke up the fight.

When the girl’s mother called the police, she indicated that she wanted to file charges, but the officer responded that since her daughter started the physical part of the altercation by throwing the water, the court would likely view it as a mutual fight, rather than a physical assault on her. According to Nex’s remarks to an officer, she fought back, even throwing one of the attacking girls into a paper towel dispenser.

After the girl died the next day, a search warrant was executed, leading to investigators taking 137 photographs at the school. In addition, they collected swabs from the restroom and collected records of the students involved in the fight.

While the police department later announced that the autopsy revealed that Nex Benedict did not die from a trauma, they have not yet said what did cause her death, and are awaiting the results of the toxicology report.

Not surprisingly, many are not waiting for any such results, but instead are casting the entire incident as an example of bullying of “transgender” individuals. For example, in a story for the Norman (Oklahoma) Transcript about a vigil honoring Benedict in Norman, Oklahoma laws and remarks by Oklahoma public officials are inferred to have been at least partly responsible for the student’s death.

The local PFLAG organization issued a statement: “PFLAG and our members are saddened by the loss of one [of] our children, Nex Benedict. What continuously breaks our hearts are the hundreds of LGBTQIA2S+ children that are bullied at our schools, rejected at our churches, kicked out of their homes, fired from their jobs just because they are different.”

The political motivation is made quite clear: “We are also here to move the voting population to participate in their civic duty to elect true representatives that will protect us and our children in the LGBTQIA2S+ community.”

With the assistance of the Democratic Party of Oklahoma, Norman Ward 4 Councilmember Helen Grant helped put together the demonstration at which candles and miniature flags representing all the various identities of the LGBTQIA2S+ community were handed out. Speakers at the event included state Representative Annie Menz (a Democrat from Norman).

Councilmember Grant — who also identifies as nonbinary — told the Transcript that she is also concerned about “legislation around reproductive health care.” State School Superintendent Ryan Walters, a Republican, and the majority-Republican state Legislature have also been targeted as being responsible for Benedict’s death, because of public comments in opposition to the transgender agenda (such as allowing transgender males to compete in female sports).

This is not surprising, as almost every tragedy imaginable is somehow made to be the fault of a politician that the Left does not like. One might recall that President Ronald Reagan was held by many Democrats as somehow responsible for the spread of AIDS in the 1980s, while the Covid pandemic was used against President Donald Trump.

It is highly doubtful that the altercation in the restroom at Owasso High School was in any way motivated by any remarks made by State School Superintendent Ryan Walters, as it is very doubtful the students know what he has said on any subject, or even know who he is, for that matter. Bullying — if indeed this altercation can be held as an example of bullying — is something that, unfortunately, has been part of the school environment for as long as schools have existed.

Perhaps the other females in the restroom were making fun of Benedict and her friends, and it had something to do with Benedict’s self-identification of being “nonbinary,” but we really do not know that. It is wrong to jump to conclusions before the facts are settled. But both local and national media and others have already concluded that the altercation was an example of anti-LGBTQIA2S+ bullying caused by anti-transgender rhetoric, and that the altercation led to young Benedict’s untimely death.

It is possible that Benedict was taking drugs for anxiety and mood swings, but the toxicology report should determine if that had anything to do with her passing, and we should not jump to those conclusions, either. When her mother, Sue Benedict, called 911, she told them that her “daughter” — her words — was in distress, saying, “She is not doing good.” If trauma was not the cause of her death — and the state medical examiner has concluded it was not — then something that had nothing to do with the altercation in the school bathroom was the cause.

We can certainly sympathize with a mother who has lost her daughter, for whatever reason. But it is wrong for others to use this unfortunate death in a political manner, or against the girls she was fighting with in the restroom.

But many on the Left have no shame.