Updated 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21: Nex Benedict 'did not die as a result of trauma,' Owasso police say
The Owasso school district on Tuesday released new details about events leading up to the high-profile death of a 16-year-old student, citing “speculation and misinformation surrounding the case.”
Initially identified in a family obituary as Dagny Benedict, their mother, Sue Benedict, on Tuesday identified the deceased as Nex Benedict in a post on a GoFundMe page. The Tulsa World is publishing the name Nex after the family’s confirmation.
Nex reportedly identified as nonbinary, which is an umbrella term for those who identify with more than one gender, no gender or having a fluctuating gender identity.
Sue Benedict acknowledged her child’s decision to identify as Nex after earlier reports referred to them by their birthname.
“We are sorry for not using their name correctly, and as parents we were still learning the correct forms,” she said in the post. “Please do not judge us as Nex was judged; please do not bully us for our ignorance on the subject. Nex gave us that respect, and we are sorry in our grief that we overlooked them.”
Sue Benedict said her child’s headstone will read the “correct name of their choice” and funds from the GoFundMe page would go toward other children who are “dealing with the right to be who they feel they are, in Nex Benedict’s name.”
“We at this time are thankful for the ongoing support and did not expect the love from everyone,” she said.
Police interviewing staff and students
Benedict’s death on Feb. 8 was publicized that same evening in a press release sent out by the Owasso Police Department and reported on by multiple local news outlets.
The initial police press release alerted the community to the fact that police were investigating Benedict’s death because it occurred a day after a physical altercation at school, and police only learned about it when they were called to the hospital by Benedict’s parent the day before the student died.
Amid public outcry over the weekend about whether Benedict was the target of a possible hate crime, the Owasso Police Department issued a new press release on Tuesday, saying they are still in the process of interviewing witnesses and are awaiting a final determination of the cause and manner of Benedict’s death by the State Medical Examiner’s Office.
The release notes it is Owasso PD’s policy to not release incident reports for cases that are under active investigation when there is risk of compromising or harming the investigation.
“We understand that people are concerned about this incident and we can assure everyone that this incident is being taken seriously and is being investigated thoroughly,” the police department said in Tuesday’s written statement. “Detectives have, are and will be interviewing school staff and students over the course of the next two weeks and in turn will be submitting our investigation to the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution review.”
District addresses ‘misinformation’
About an hour later, Owasso Public Schools sent parents and the press an identical statement on Benedict’s death, claiming that was necessary because “speculation and misinformation surrounding the case has intensified in recent days.”
“We understand that for many, additional questions remain, however these are the facts that we are able to communicate at this juncture. We will continue to cooperate fully with the Owasso Police Department’s investigation,” the district stated, adding: “The loss of a student, a member of the Ram Family and the Owasso community, is devastating. We recognize the impact that this event has had on the entire school community and it is our priority to foster an environment where everyone feels heard, supported, and safe. If there is ever a concern about student safety or well-being, please reach out to a teacher, counselor or principal at your child’s school.”
The district said it has “cooperated fully with the investigation by the Owasso Police Department” and had previously limited its statements on the matter “due to the on-going investigation in an effort to not disrupt police, and out of respect and for the confidentiality for all involved.”
The statement reads: “While there will still be pieces of information that the district will never be able to share due to federal privacy laws, we are reaching out to you today to address some of that misinformation, particularly statements that call into question the district’s commitment to student safety & security. We understand the importance of ensuring a safe and inclusive environment for all students and know that the information below doesn’t change the facts that a fight occurred on school grounds and a student passed away the next day.”
New details
District officials also released a host of new details they said they had ensured would not disrupt the police investigation.
That portion of the statement is as follows:
“On the afternoon of Wednesday, February 7, 2024, a physical altercation occurred in a restroom at the Owasso High School West Campus.
Students were in the restroom for less than 2 minutes and the physical altercation was broken up by other students who were present in the restroom at the time, along with a staff member who was supervising outside of the restroom.
Once the altercation was broken up, all students involved in the altercation walked under their own power to the assistant principal’s office and nurse’s office.
District administrators began taking statements from the students present in the restroom and began contacting parents/guardians of the students involved in the physical altercation.
Following district protocols, each of the students involved in the altercation was given a health assessment by a district registered nurse. Per district protocols, students needing further support are transported to a medical facility either by ambulance or by a parent/guardian, depending on the severity of the injuries and preference of the parent/guardian.
While it was determined that ambulance service was not required, out of an abundance of caution, it was recommended to one parent that their student visit a medical facility for further examination.
Per district protocols, the parents/guardians of students involved in a physical altercation are notified and informed of the option to file a police report should they choose. Should they choose to file a police report, school resource officers are made available to the parents/guardians either at that time or they can schedule an appointment, if they choose, at a later date. These practices were followed during this incident.”
Owasso Public Schools also made a point of saying any students engaging in physical altercations, thus “jeopardizing the safety of others,” will receive disciplinary consequences.
“These consequences can include out of school suspension for first offense. Due to federal privacy laws, we are unable to disclose the exact nature of disciplinary action taken against any student. That information can only be given to the parents/guardians of the student being disciplined. Any notion that the district has ignored disciplinary action toward those involved is simply untrue,” the letter to parents and press statement reads.
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