In Oklahoma, Tulsa County District Attorney Stephen Kunzweiler announced that no charges will be filed in connection with the fight that happened the day before transgender, nonbinary high school student Nex Benedict died by suicide, NBC News reported.
The fight in the high school bathroom appeared to be an "instance of mutual combat," Kunzweiler said in a statement. Kunzweiler also noted that Owasso police officers discovered "some brief notes" that were written by Benedict and "appeared to be related to the suicide."
Benedict had reportedly told his mom that he endured bullying at school because of his gender identity. According to body-camera video from a police interview at the hospital, Benedict said three students "jumped" him after he threw water on them because they were bullying him and his friend for the way they dressed.
Meanwhile, in a related matter, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) released the results of a Change Research poll that found that Oklahoma voters strongly disapprove of Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters' job performance. HRC has launched "Remove Ryan Walters,"a "campaign to hold Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters accountable for his failed leadership and dangerous rhetoric and policies that have left Oklahoma's 2SLGBTQI (two spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex+) students feeling unsafe in the state's schools," a press release stated.
Also, GLAAD announced the launch of an ad calling out the ways in which Walters is unfit for office, and which encourages viewers to call their state representatives to advocate for his removal.
Andrew Davis