By Jo Yurcaba -
NBC News
The death of Nex Benedict, an Oklahoma student, was ruled a suicide, according to a medical examiner's report released Wednesday.
The 16-year-old, who was transgender and used the pronouns “he” and “they,” according to friends and family, died on February 8, a day after a fight at his school.
His name has become a symbol among LGBTQ activists, who argue that an avalanche of legislation targeting that community has made schools less safe for
queer
and transgender students like Nex.
Nex Benedict, at his family home in Owasso, Oklahoma, in December 2023.Sue Benedict via AP file
Nex had apparently told her mother that she was bullied at school because of her gender identity.
Body camera footage released last month by police hours after the school fight shows Nex in a hospital bed.
In the video, he tells a police officer how three students “came up on him” after he threw water on them because they were harassing him and one of his friends because of the way he dressed.
On February 21, the Owasso Police Department released preliminary autopsy information that they revealed indicates Nex's death
was not the result of trauma
.
Days later, a department spokesperson clarified that it had not been ruled out that the fight had contributed to or caused his death.
Jacob Biby, an attorney for the Benedict family, and a spokesman for Owasso Public Schools did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
If you yourself or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the 988
Suicide Prevention and Crisis Line
by calling or texting “988.”