Officials acknowledged there are unresolved questions about a 16-year-old non-binary Oklahoma student who died one day after a fight in a high school bathroom, NBC News noted.
Chuck Hoskin Jr., principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, identified the victim as Nex Benedict, who was not a citizen of the nation but lived on the Cherokee reservation. Hoskin said he had asked local authorities to assist the Owasso Police Department in its investigation of Nex's death.
Benedict's mother told The Independent that the teen had been bullied at school over their gender identity. Sue Benedict, who identified herself as the student's mother to KJRH, said her child was a straight-A student who loved animals and enjoyed cooking.
In a statement, Owasso Public Schools said that "speculation and misinformation" about the case had intensified in recent days over the "district's commitment to student safety and security." It is not currently known if the fight was related to the death.School district officials said the students involved in the fight were in the bathroom for less than two minutes and the altercation was broken up by other students along with a staff member who was supervising outside the restroom.
The Advocate stated, "May Nex's memory be a blessing."
Andrew Davis