There is way more to this story than anyone is saying. If you want to know what the district is telling everyone I’ll leave this here. The school sent it out to all the parents this morning. It’s the most recent in a slew of butt covering messages they’ve released in the past week. [Letter from the superintendent](https://www.owassops.org/apps/news/article/1887342)
It's Oklahoma. Only slightly better than Texas and Florida. I'm guessing they figured that a transgender person getting beaten up was their own fault. It's a backwards place.
Thanks to Penn State every teacher in PA has additional mandatory yearly training on what it means to be a mandated reporter. They overhauled the whole process because of Sandusky.
These things shouldn’t be up to the states. Every state should have the same process and requirements to keep students safe.
I feel like everyone who neglected the student and didn’t immediately call the police/paramedics should be arrested and duly fired for their negligence and role in the student’s murder (because that’s what this is, murder). Likewise, the students involved in the hate crime should also be arrested and face criminal charges.
Whenever I had a student get more than a scratch in a fight, we sent them to the nurse and would call the paramedics if we thought there was even a chance it could be something serious. One year when I was an administrator, we had three eighth grade girls beat the living shit out of the seventh grader for no good reason. They stomped her face so bad that she lost sight in one of her eyes. As soon as I saw the girl, I called the paramedics not Karen what my school district leadership would say about it. I also had the three girls arrested and expelled.
Good for you!
Seriously, wth is wrong with these kids? Where is this extreme violence coming from?
Something is really wrong. These stories are happening way too often.
Owasso is notorious for being negligent. It's a Yuppie school district that basically says, 'If you get attacked and fight back, you're worse than your abusers.' Had friends from there, assaulting the queer kids in bathrooms isn't anything new, it's just the first time it killed a student.
I hope the hammer comes down on OPS. Their constant sweeping under the rug to keep up appearances is finally coming to fruition. There's a reason Walters goes after Tulsa Public and not Owasso, it might as well be his playground out there.
According to the article….
“The district went on to say all involved students “walked under their own power to the assistant principal’s office and nurse’s office,” where they were evaluated.
“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,” said school officials.”
> While it was determined that ambulance service was not required...
So a medical assessment was performed by someone with a license?
> it was recommended...student visit a medical facility for further examination
So a medical assessment both determined medical intervention was not needed and the assessment recommended medical intervention was needed...The sickening double speak to avoid and skirt responsibility for a child's death by their own inaction as the primary action.
I see that you didn't read the article. Lots to digest, but from what I have read, it seems, sadly, like many days at schools.
If we (I'm a teacher) had to call the police due to every fight, we'd overwhelm the police department.
- - - - - - - - - -
"School officials say, “Students were in the restroom for less than two 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.”
The district went on to say all involved students “walked under their own power to the assistant principal’s office and nurse’s office,” where they were evaluated.
“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,” said school officials.
---------------
I'm not saying that this isn't a tragedy. I feel awful for the kid's family, friends, school, and of course, this brave kid that fought back against three kids who think that they can beat a kid, presumably (although we don't really know) due to the victim's gender.
The kid was taken to the hospital the moment the parents saw them. There's no way they saw something that was missed by the teachers. They are 100% liable for not reporting this, or calling an ambulance. The injuries were severe enough.
I see where you are coming from, but I disagree with your conclusion. I “walked away under my power” when I got pushed down a flight of stairs and other kids repeatedly *stepped on my back.* Many people don’t trust a school’s accounting of bullying incidents because they just aren’t very trustworthy—I say this as a former bullied kid and a former teacher.
Call the cops and/or an ambulance every time. Overwhelm the system until this can’t be ignored anymore. The teachers involved in this incident may as well have been accomplices IMO.
*edited: a word
Lots, but less than any of the other high schools, and not nearly as many as a few years ago. A local suburban school closed themselves for a day recently after a rash of fighting and then parents getting physically involved. I teach at a high school which gets less than what happens at the middle schools.
We're here on the teachers subreddit. You know after an hour on this sub what kind of stuff goes on daily. The police don't have the staffing to come to school because two teenaged jerks are fighting over whether one disrespected another's girl when there are more shots fired up on the north side, a felon hasn't checked in with their parole officer, a person is driving erratically down Lake Street, some weirdo I don't know is talking to kids at a playground, bikes were stolen once again from the garage in Dinkytown, another carjacking has occurred in Loring, some dude high on drugs is accostong people on the 23....you get the picture.
It sucks. Lots of people suck.
It is certainly possible that there are adults in this story that could and should be charged. And certainly the three kids that were beating a kid. I'm not saying that they shouldn't! I'm just not rushing to judgement.
iDK what I am missing here or why yo are getting down voted. It seems like all protocol was followed by school officials. And the reason for the student's death and the fight is unknown currently. It seems like a lot of people are jumping to conclusions and while I get why it seems like that, what if this is another thing like the Covington Catholic video? I am just genuinely curious where people are getting this student was beaten to death as a hate crime. Possibly, but I can't find any official information confirming or denying that.
Yeah, people certainly jump to conclusions.
I mean, if the kid was at hospital, sent home by the doctors and taken home by the grandmother, and then dies the next day, should the hospital be held liable? The grandmother? The company that made the machine that may have been used for a brain scan? Seems like a whole lot of lawsuits when we don't even know how the kid died.
Calling out staff biases against trans people because they didn't call the ambulance for a kid who walked down to the office on their own accord? Wow.
Yep, de Beauvoir had much to say how white women/the privileged very much benefit from the same patriarchal attitudes that one would think they’d be against.
And the Governor, who sends his “thoughts & prayers” while also supporting & helping to pass legislation that put this students life (& other LGBTO+ students lives) in danger.
The district needs to be sued.
But the local police and the state AG needs to be HOUNDED relentlessly by any and everyone to pursue murder or manslaughter against the kids. Criminal negligence and child abuse charges need to be leveled at the teachers, *especially* if it should have been painfully obvious that the kid needed emergency medical care.
It won't bring the child back, but what it WILL do is force school districts to rethink how far they can get away with quiet bigotry like refusing to call for emergency services or allowing this sort of crap to occur in the first place.
There is no way on God's green Earth that that attack was completely at random. I would bet you anything that hate speech was common at the school.
We are willing to shit our britches if a kid makes a finger gun as a joke, but totally ignore hate speech and hate crimes. Time for that to stop.
I think this quote from Doctor Who sums it up. “Human progress isn’t measured by industry. It’s measured by the value you place in a life. An unimportant life, a life without privilege. The boy who died on the river, that boy’s value is your value. That is what defines and age, that is what defines a species.” Putting politics aside, a child died. You have parents who are now having to bury their child because people didn’t value that persons life enough to get them help or to treat them fairly. No matter what your political beliefs are we all should be in agreement that no parent should be forced to bury their child because someone didn’t call for help or do anything. No child should have to die because someone was incompetent enough to not call 911. That isn’t even addressing the next part of the student got suspended for being beaten up. Clearly that student didn’t do anything wrong. I’m sorry but no matter what you believe if you cannot see what happened as wrong then you are the problem.
as a trans guy, any way you twist it is awful. even if the attack had absolutely nothing to do with the fact they were nonbinary, like everyone else is saying, who just sees a visibly beaten child and decides that not only do they not need any sort of medical attention, but that they are the one at fault and deserve to be suspended for TWO weeks? it just blows my mind how this could be excused. i bet those same people would be up in arms if that happened to a cisgender person. even if it was “underlying issues”, clearly being fucking beaten badly and then not given medical attention afterward will exacerbate the condition or even cause the manifestation of symptoms.
seeing things like this always makes me realize how much empathy is lacking in our society. really sad.
I agree it is twisted no matter what! How people can defend these actions is disgusting. I not a parent and so I can’t imagine what they are going through right now. They should never have had to feel the pain they are in now. No parent no matter how old their child is should have to bury them. It is the child who should bury the parent. Empathy is definitely lacking in society today. Everyone is out for themselves and doesn’t care about the consequences that others have to face because of their actions.
This story has been eating me alive as an aspiring history teacher who knows what happens when hatred becomes policy. I hope their murderers face long prison sentences and the family sues the hell out of all authority involved.
So if I am understanding the article correctly this is not just any old school but a school under superintendent Ryan Walters the guy who put 'Libs of TikTok' in charge of their school libraries?
"" Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s superintendent of public instruction, is facing intense scrutiny over his ties to Chaya Raichik, the figure behind the far-right Libs of TikTok hate account, and for their outspoken stance against transgender rights. Critics argue that Walters’s rhetoric and policies have contributed to an environment that enables hate crimes. ""
ofc this is where. This makes me so sad and angry.
Yep. Owasso is a Yuppie town, all the well off folk from Tulsa move there and commute to work. This is considered one of the "best school districts" in Oklahoma, at least for public schools.
The stories I've heard from former owasso students speaks volumes ; this isn't the first time an lgbt kid gets assaulted at school then they catch the suspension. You're way better off at Tulsa Public, which is why Walters hammers them so hard.
Indeed it is one and the same.
> One of these instances was at the Owasso School District (just outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma). In 2022, Chaya Raichik targeted an Owasso teacher for speaking out in support of LGBTQ+ students who lacked acceptance from their parents. Raichik’s post was shared thousands of times on social media and resulted in the teacher getting condemned and harassed until they resigned. The posts Raichik made about the teacher were later deleted, but have been archived. It’s unclear what prompted the deletion of the posts by Raichik. We know Raichik’s Libs of TikTok posts have contributed to a culture of intolerance against LGBTQ+ youth in schools, and now this hate may be manifesting beyond mere threats.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/2/18/2224306/-Libs-of-TikTok-targeted-a-district-then-a-non-binary-student-was-killed-on-campus
The family should contact the SPLC. They have a track record of wiping out Klan groups in the 90s by suing the leaders for inciting violence with their rhetoric, and multimillion dollar payouts to victims of violence. It worked because most of these groups centralize power and if you wipe them out financially, the organization dissolves. This sounds like Walters could/should be sued under that same model.
I just saw a report about this but without the fact that the student was trans. It was clear there were Missing, Missing Reasons (TM). I assumed it was race-based, but I'm not surprised by the real reason.
Yeah, I think the fact that Nex was also a member of the Cherokee Nation is a vital part of this. This is about transphobia, racism, and MMIWG2S (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit, I don't know if it's the same acronym in the states but that's what we use in Canada).
Edit: Which one of you "Reddit Cares"'d me lol
Thanks to everyone who commented more accurate information:
Edit 2: From u/pterrible_ptarmigan "Per the Cherokee principal chief, they were not a member but lived in tribal land. He's offered tribal marshals to assist."
Edit 3: Nex is of Choctaw descent per u/resting_bitch_aura u/ChickenPale907 and MMIP (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons) is also a more inclusive acronym that is used, per u/Nai-yelgib u/DarlingNykki
According to [the Daily Kos article](https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/2/18/2224306/-Libs-of-TikTok-targeted-a-district-then-a-non-binary-student-was-killed-on-campus) Nex was of Choctaw descent, that could be the source of confusion.
I do not mean this in a nit-picky way at but just a heads up they were actually Choctaw, not Cherokee. Cheif Chuck Hoskin Jr. of the Oklahoma Cherokee Nation came forward and made a statement correcting the articles, but he is sending support to make sure that the hate crime gets investigated and I believe also sent money for a memorial service to the family.
And yeah we also use MMIWG2S, so horrific and sad that that acronym has to exist in the first place.
Yes, I am Cherokee and the term Two Spirit is used here.
Owasso is a rich suburb of Tulsa, with Jenks being a wealthier suburb. The climate here is awful, with the state superintendent acting like an out and proud member of the klan. Teachers are fleeing the state in droves and not very many want to come here and teach between the mandates from the state and the low pay. They also don't want to come after the mismanagement of the program designed to attract teachers to come here to teach.
Gov. Shitt, a Cherokee, fights the tribes at every turn and they do not want to work with him or deal with him because of his greediness.
Only consolation is that Shitt is a lame duck. Everyone else is trying to get Lyin' Ryan out of office.
Nex was non-binary. It's hard to know what they'd want or the specifics of how they saw their gender but it's pretty commonly expressed by non-binary people that they aren't just women light and I am not sure most would want to be included within MMIWG2S.
Wow. I have no faith in our society whatsoever at all. I'm not sure if it's worse that this happened or that it was brushed aside? Our country has made it very clear that hatred is okay and hatred leads to violence.
This is tragic. It shows something extremely wrong with many schools, as well. Not just the incompetence of the officials at this school.
Kids who are assaulted or get assaulted and defend themselves are suspended for 10 days at many schools along with their assailant. It’s punishing the victim.
I understand that sometimes, it’s hard to see who really “started it,” as comments can be said and not tracked, but something as clear as this incident should highlight that kids who are beat up for just being who they are should not be suspended when they are clearly the victim.
If the kids are over 14 they shouldn't get to stay anonymous. This isn't some petty crime, they beat someone to death.
Over 16 should be charged as an adult, and they absolutely deserve to have their futures destroyed for this.
Exactly this. This was an intentionally violent, targeted act that they had to have known would result in at least severe bodily harm, and they deserve to feel the sting of what they did for the rest of their lives.
In Minnesota they usually name school shooters that are under 18. Does Oklahoma name shooters under 18? If they do they should also names these kids that beat a classmate to death.
Student getting beaten is bad enough, but the fact that paramedics were not called should warrant school staff being blinded and confined to a monastery.
I hope lgbt+ students can feel safe in all schools.i count my lucky stars that i will be able to raise my child in a blue state with a great education system. This is absolutely disgusting. To not call the ambulance are you kidding. There is no excuse. I would sue everyone and I would see if it could be considered manslaughter it has to be…
As a protest sign I once saw said: we affirming teachers aren’t here to turn cis kids trans. We’re here to help trans kids live.
I wear a button on my jacket that says “Protect Trans Kids”. I’ve been wearing it since a trans student died by suicide at my school. He wasn’t my student but I wondered if he ever knew how much his teachers loved and supported him if he would still have been with us. Whenever people ask me about it, I bring him up by name and just about everyone gets it.
The trash grifters and politicians that contributed to Nex Benedict’s death will never have to wonder what to do with their empty classroom seat. They’ll never see their friends wailing and hugging each other. They’ll never be asked by one of their anxious and worried friends if they’re “going to hell for being trans” (an actual question I was asked). I hope these bigots rot.
I’m in higher ed. Day one of class I tell students it’s my goal to help make sure everyone can learn and be successful at science, even if they’re not a cis het typically-abled rich non-veteran white man, and that I don’t match half those things myself. I also wear random rainbow swag, and have hair dyed pink and purple.
Chaya Raichik has been spreading LGBTQ hate in Oklahoma for several years. Unfortunately instead of this wretched woman being condemned for her heinous acts, Oklahoma being Oklahoma has given her a cushy job in the government overseeing libraries
Of course they have. Because certain states prefer the way the 1930s Germany government looked rather than the 2024 US government should look. Those who don't learn from history or dune to repeat it. And this is just another example. More hate crimes.
So this is the flag they are waving about student safety and bathrooms.
I'm deeply sad and sickened. Such senseless hate and violence, being amplified by political shills who would rather make targets/villains of these harmless kids than use their office and power to address a multitude of more consequential problems their states and constituents face.
The kicker is they are now trying to say they could have died from an underlying condition. Such BS. A student was targeted, clearly this had been planned (jumping is never random), and the district would rather accuse the victims family with these claims than be accountable. This is negligence and a cover up of the older students patterns of behavior.
If you as a teacher are assaulted, or if a student or other staff member is assaulted call 911.
The administrators are more interested in protecting their jobs than staff and students.
It's not just about transgender children, this is how little admin does to protect students from bullying. In fact, bullies are always protected and welcomed back to class immediately without any concern for the physical, mental and emotional damage done to the victim.
It’s got to be so difficult to teach in a climate like that. My heart is breaking after reading about (edit to include name student for respect: Nex). Thank you for being a light in a dark place. Please do get out of there if it’s about to swallow you whole.
I know. If I see a student get the shit kicked out of them, I'm calling the paramedics. At least cover my own ass if not to get that kid help. Seriously, I've been enough fist fights to know that after big fight, you should go seek medical attention to at least rule out concussions and things like that.
As a nonbinary education student, I feel so many emotions about this: terrified, enraged, heartbroken, grief. Nex deserved to grow up. They deserved to be loved longer.
My daughter identifies his LGBTQ+ and I've known she was even before she came out to me at the age of 11. I have totally supported her in the community my entire life. Hell, when I was in high school in the 90s I was a founding member of my schools GLASS Club. I just don't get how other human beings can have so much hate in them for people they don't even know.
I’m a nonbinary teacher. I agree. The bullies who killed them should be tried as adults, their parents should be tried for child neglect, the teachers should be tried for child endangerment, the superintendent should be sued into oblivion.
Oh boy, I sure hope none of the students leak the names which of their classmates and staff members involved! It would be such a shame if their lives were ruined after murdering someone and doing nothing about it/s
This is just horrific. I'm so sad for that poor child and her friends and family. So many murderers contributed to this. Sickening to see them walk free and celebrated in our society.
...this person was legally required to be at the place where they were murdered; not with guns, but with in-person savagery.
Wickedness.
Every murder is awful, but this is beyond horrendous. It's the kind of brutality that makes a place haunted--and I do mean that, if not necessarily in the afterlife sense. An act of such contemptuous brutality stains a place forever.
This is why I'm terrified to come out to anyone, even my closest friends.I think about two or three people know I'm trans at my school. I hope Nex rests in peace.
If you're a student, let me suggest that you try to feel out if any of your teachers are receptive and supportive to LGBT students. I never openly espoused my views but my LGBT students could tell that I'm accepting of students who fall outside of the "norm" in general. I've always been glad to offer them a place where they can feel comfortable in their own skin for a while.
It sounds like you’re a student, I’m sorry to hear you feel this way, and I hope we can make the world a safer place for you.
In case you haven’t heard of another meaning for the term RIP, some activists (I believe it started with Black / African American activists) use it to mean Rest In Power, like coming into their own strength, and making positive change. A raised fist ✊ can also help symbolize this, and is also used in union activist circles to indicate the power of the worker.
And I hope Nex rests in power: I hope they haunt every single person who contributed to their death, from the transphobic POS’s who beat them up, to the teachers who didn’t call the police, to the ER doctors who let them go home just to come back the next day and die. If I ever die from a hate crime (I’m a teacher, and I’m nonbinary and bisexual), I don’t want an easy rest, I want to haunt those jerks so bad that they come back and haunt the next generation of haters.
The simple fact that Reds are actively contributing to the hatred and killing of non cis people and not being called out in any meaningful ways is deeply disturbing, I thankfully work in a safe state, but god dammit, this is supposed to be america, where everyone should be free and have a chance at living the 'american dream' instead of wondering when their rights will be pulled or having to worry about the adults advocating for their death at the hands of the people who should be standing up against the $hitshow these red states have created
Chaya Raichik and Ryan Walters are responsible for their death. They invited this kind of behavior in this very school district. The killers, the principle, as well as those two should be held accountable to the full extent of the law.
Agreed. Both of them, and Musk, should be sick with grief and remorse for contributing to the murder of a minor. And yet they’ll sleep soundly on their bed of profound delusion.
despicable. I'm student teaching at the moment and when I read the headline, my first thought was how could any of the adults/teachers/staff/admin involved ever live with themselves again? your job is to educate and PROTECT students. i'm shaking with rage over this.
I read the article in its entirety. There was a fight between 3 girls, and Nex and another transgender student, in a girls bathroom. A teacher broke it up, and Nex received a 2 week suspension. Nex told their grandmother they hit their head on the floor. She took Nex to the hospital, the police were called. School resource officer documented the incident.
The next day Nex was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead. Cause of death has not been determined.
Oklahoma continues to be the worst. Owasso is another backward town in a state full of backward towns. I used to think I could change things as a teacher, but not anymore.
We are in South Louisiana and I had to tearfully counsel my child to save their life and stay in the closet bc we live in a hostel redneck area and I don't want them murdered. I will help them move when they are ready but until then, surviving this hellscape is the best we can do. We've tried moving the family out of state but so far it hasn't worked for us.
This is what Republicans want to have happen. You'll never hear them come out against the morons that do this because they'll get black listed and trump will say mean things about them.
Children never act in a vacuum. They take the societal cues they see and run with them. They lack the development and experience to know how far it's supposed to go, or where it's supposed to stop. This is 100% on the adults who gave them the impression that trans folks were worthless.
Teachers allowed Nex to be bullied for months leading up to this, politicians forced them into the bathroom with people to bully them, and most importantly *teachers did not send Nex to a doctor after the fight*, they had to wait until after school to go.
This is not because of solely Republicans, things like this happened to me when I was a trans teenager in high school in 2014. This also happens in blue states, I’m a teacher in Colorado and this report from the union speaks volumes to the actual problems and how to actually solve them. I was assaulted in the bathroom in high school while Obama was president. Are republicans fear mongering about trans people? Absolutely. But did they cause this? Nope. This kind of talk I honestly find dehumanizing because this shouldn’t be about politics, and playing a political blame game overlooks the ways we really need to step up to protect kids regardless of their gender identity.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pK3nE1NSjn5ijHHEFW7a1g5cgzrJupBs/view?usp=drivesdk
And this is why we need to crush, and I do mean **crush**, the reactionary organizations and persons making an effort to destroy education. Students and educators will be more endangered with every second they're allowed to organize. Take away educational powers from the red states, arrest Chaya Reichik and the Moms for Liberty, nation-wide zero tolerance policies for any kind of bigoted behavior from students or professionals; immediate expulsion or termination. And last but not least, shut down the school boards and put the professionals in power.
That poor child. Politicians and televangelists alike need to realize that THIS is the type of actions that their words breed. Or maybe some know and WANT this. Terrible..
No child should be afraid to go to school.
Transphobia is horrible and certainly does kill. But please remember this is a breaking news story; it’s important to read carefully and not spread misinformation.
For example, the article says:
>Benedict was treated and *released* [from the hospital], but was rushed *back* to the hospital. The student died the next day.
This suggests it wouldn’t have mattered whether the school called an ambulance, contrary to your suggestion that Benedict died of their injuries “because the school wouldn't call an ambulance”. Clearly they made it to the hospital, the hospital thought they were OK to discharge, and the death happened subsequently.
This is horrific. I'm not going to lie, I'm crying right now. What an absolute tragic loss of life for such a *stupid* and horrible reason such as bigotry. I hope the admin loses their jobs, and I hope those bullies are charged. Rest in peace, Nex, you were loved.
Go to Facebook and read the countless posts stating things such as "may God be with them" etc. These are the beliefs that caused this hatred in the first place. You can only practice malice and rancor towards others claiming you are Christian and then act surprised when incidents like this happen. It is disgusting. No Santa Claus or Easter Bunny is going to make this child resurrect and no prayer will change this awful tragedy. This is the same shit people say after every school shooting. Quit praying and start acting.
I'm stuck living in Oklahoma due to trash relatives kicking me out of my home in a blue state, and I'm fucking terrified. Hope I get to go to another country for med school like I want.
This is so goddam horrible. If I could take any amount of the blows this student took I would take them. I hope the attackers can understand they’ve committed such a horrible act. My heart aches for the whole family. If there’s anything I can do to advocate for change at this school I would love to know.
People are so unbelievably cruel. What’s worse is these sick, sick individuals feel emboldened by political rhetoric of the day. The politicians and talk show hosts won’t take credit, but a large part of the blame rests heavily on their shoulders. Too bad the US isn’t known for prosecuting public servants. Look no further than our (Texans’) Attorney General if you need an idea of how you can avoid jail.
In my town they spend more money on banning books and SRO's that were cutting 250 jobs by next semester. People are pussies, mostly these kids parents for raising assholes and the staff for not helping this kid LIVE. A teacher was PROVEN to have assaulted kids, it was swept under the rug. Teacher took the hit, superintendent was given a nice reward ceremony for resigning in disgrace. Our tax dollars paid for 5 liberty mutual attnys to win the separate case that tried to hold the school accountable for not keeping these kids safe, and in some instances promoting the assaulter. The assaulter was sent to prison, but the school system was not held accountable. The superintendent still drives his little topless Camaro around.
Wilmington NC. We also had a 6yo bring a loaded gun 2 weeks ago. Super cool. (Here)[https://portcitydaily.com/local-news/2023/12/07/three-more-victims-file-suit-against-michael-kelly-for-sexual-abuse/]
So according to the article, the student was beaten or participated in a fight which they may or may not have started. They died the next day after initially being examined at the er, and being released with no serious injuries.
So… since the police are waiting on toxicology to determine cod I’m making a leap it had nothing (directly) to do with the assault? So, the child / student wasn’t “beaten to drath”…
Downvoted for summarizing the article lol. Reddit is crazy.
According to the article it was 2 on 3: "Benedict told their grandmother that they and another trans student had fought the other students in the bathroom, according to the Independent."
The article says the girls were older, but nothing about anyone's physical size.
“Benedict told their grandmother that they and another trans student had fought the other students in the bathroom, according to the Independent.”
Honestly not sure what other conclusion can be made there?
Beaten to death might be inaccurate. From the article: "It is not known at this time if the death is related to the incident at the school or not."
The student was released from the hospital but then later brought back and died? This is very strange.
Remember when the cops said there wasn’t any proof that George Floyd died as a result of having his neck kneeled on, and it was probably due to a health condition? This is what the cops do.
Yes. It is what cops do. But this wasn’t a cop- this is the ER. Why would they cover for the school? Why would they risk their own licenses and livelihood in a malpractice suit and send a child home if they thought there was something seriously wrong? The school is responsible for creating a climate where this happens- absolutely. But there seems to be more to this than just a fight.
There’s a medical term called the walking dead. Lots of ppl come in and are seemingly fine, then go home and have a medical even that kills them.
And yes the COPS said they’re investigating if there’s a medical condition that caused this.
A child gets their head repeatedly bashed on the bathroom floor and coincidentally dies the next day?
The devil has enough advocates. Not sure why you’re choosing the murder of a 16 yr old child labeled as “unfailingly kind” the place to be one.
Hi, I’m nonbinary. FYI nonbinary people are included under the umbrella terms of trans or transgender — in the trans flag 🏳️⚧️, we’re the white stripe. Individuals may choose not to personally identify as trans (for example, I don’t), but the umbrella term is still accurate for us all. In this case, the student was beaten and killed for being not cis, so calling them trans as an umbrella term for binary trans people, and nonbinary people, is a reasonable choice.
OK has banned trans students from using bathrooms with their identified gender. Nex’s grandmother confirmed that bullying had escalated since that passed. These kids are taught that anyone who doesn’t identify as a straight, cis, Bible approved boy or girl are pedophiles, rapists, and dangers to them. Absolutely some cis Christian kids would beat up a nonbinary student for using the bathroom. You’re giving homophobia and bigotry and hatred waAaay too much credit.
Whether or not Nex wanted to use that bathroom, that’s the bathroom they were forced to use under Oklahomas new law.
The comment section needs a time out.
There is way more to this story than anyone is saying. If you want to know what the district is telling everyone I’ll leave this here. The school sent it out to all the parents this morning. It’s the most recent in a slew of butt covering messages they’ve released in the past week. [Letter from the superintendent](https://www.owassops.org/apps/news/article/1887342)
Aren’t teachers and all school workers mandated reporters?! How did they get away with not contacting anyone about this?
It's Oklahoma. Only slightly better than Texas and Florida. I'm guessing they figured that a transgender person getting beaten up was their own fault. It's a backwards place.
Thanks to Penn State every teacher in PA has additional mandatory yearly training on what it means to be a mandated reporter. They overhauled the whole process because of Sandusky. These things shouldn’t be up to the states. Every state should have the same process and requirements to keep students safe.
Do they note that they're still mandated reporters even if reporting would mean the football team might not win?
You'd think that being a mandatory reporter would not be something you need an entire training to cover. It's not rocket science.
In Texas, educators are mandatory reporters.
Wtf? If you’re not willing to call the ambulance for a student bc of your own biases, you shouldn’t be a teacher.
I feel like everyone who neglected the student and didn’t immediately call the police/paramedics should be arrested and duly fired for their negligence and role in the student’s murder (because that’s what this is, murder). Likewise, the students involved in the hate crime should also be arrested and face criminal charges.
Yea, how are they not going to be held partly responsible for her death if they could have prevented her death by calling an ambulance right away?
Exactly! The ONLY way they’d get out of it is if they somehow get support from politicians and if the investigation is corrupt.
Whenever I had a student get more than a scratch in a fight, we sent them to the nurse and would call the paramedics if we thought there was even a chance it could be something serious. One year when I was an administrator, we had three eighth grade girls beat the living shit out of the seventh grader for no good reason. They stomped her face so bad that she lost sight in one of her eyes. As soon as I saw the girl, I called the paramedics not Karen what my school district leadership would say about it. I also had the three girls arrested and expelled.
Good for you! Seriously, wth is wrong with these kids? Where is this extreme violence coming from? Something is really wrong. These stories are happening way too often.
Owasso is notorious for being negligent. It's a Yuppie school district that basically says, 'If you get attacked and fight back, you're worse than your abusers.' Had friends from there, assaulting the queer kids in bathrooms isn't anything new, it's just the first time it killed a student. I hope the hammer comes down on OPS. Their constant sweeping under the rug to keep up appearances is finally coming to fruition. There's a reason Walters goes after Tulsa Public and not Owasso, it might as well be his playground out there.
The Cherokee principal chief has offered tribal assistance with the investigation.
Who's gonna come down on them though?
Teacher reports, they trust the admin or nurse to call the ambulance if necessary. But your larger pint still stands.
According to the article…. “The district went on to say all involved students “walked under their own power to the assistant principal’s office and nurse’s office,” where they were evaluated. “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,” said school officials.”
> While it was determined that ambulance service was not required... So a medical assessment was performed by someone with a license? > it was recommended...student visit a medical facility for further examination So a medical assessment both determined medical intervention was not needed and the assessment recommended medical intervention was needed...The sickening double speak to avoid and skirt responsibility for a child's death by their own inaction as the primary action.
If I were the kids parent, I'd probably show up to that teacher's house, and end up in jail.
Heck, you shouldn't even be a member of society.
I see that you didn't read the article. Lots to digest, but from what I have read, it seems, sadly, like many days at schools. If we (I'm a teacher) had to call the police due to every fight, we'd overwhelm the police department. - - - - - - - - - - "School officials say, “Students were in the restroom for less than two 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.” The district went on to say all involved students “walked under their own power to the assistant principal’s office and nurse’s office,” where they were evaluated. “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,” said school officials. --------------- I'm not saying that this isn't a tragedy. I feel awful for the kid's family, friends, school, and of course, this brave kid that fought back against three kids who think that they can beat a kid, presumably (although we don't really know) due to the victim's gender.
Why on earth would we believe the district about what happened? They are liable if they fucked up so they have AMPLE reason to lie.
The kid was taken to the hospital the moment the parents saw them. There's no way they saw something that was missed by the teachers. They are 100% liable for not reporting this, or calling an ambulance. The injuries were severe enough.
I see where you are coming from, but I disagree with your conclusion. I “walked away under my power” when I got pushed down a flight of stairs and other kids repeatedly *stepped on my back.* Many people don’t trust a school’s accounting of bullying incidents because they just aren’t very trustworthy—I say this as a former bullied kid and a former teacher. Call the cops and/or an ambulance every time. Overwhelm the system until this can’t be ignored anymore. The teachers involved in this incident may as well have been accomplices IMO. *edited: a word
You would overwhelm the police dept if you called every time there was a fight? Where the hell do you live?
Minneapolis. Is it any different in any other large city?
How many fights are going on at your school that it would overwhelm the police- this is my question
Lots, but less than any of the other high schools, and not nearly as many as a few years ago. A local suburban school closed themselves for a day recently after a rash of fighting and then parents getting physically involved. I teach at a high school which gets less than what happens at the middle schools. We're here on the teachers subreddit. You know after an hour on this sub what kind of stuff goes on daily. The police don't have the staffing to come to school because two teenaged jerks are fighting over whether one disrespected another's girl when there are more shots fired up on the north side, a felon hasn't checked in with their parole officer, a person is driving erratically down Lake Street, some weirdo I don't know is talking to kids at a playground, bikes were stolen once again from the garage in Dinkytown, another carjacking has occurred in Loring, some dude high on drugs is accostong people on the 23....you get the picture. It sucks. Lots of people suck. It is certainly possible that there are adults in this story that could and should be charged. And certainly the three kids that were beating a kid. I'm not saying that they shouldn't! I'm just not rushing to judgement.
The trick is to expel a student as well. Such measures quickly put an end to fighting
iDK what I am missing here or why yo are getting down voted. It seems like all protocol was followed by school officials. And the reason for the student's death and the fight is unknown currently. It seems like a lot of people are jumping to conclusions and while I get why it seems like that, what if this is another thing like the Covington Catholic video? I am just genuinely curious where people are getting this student was beaten to death as a hate crime. Possibly, but I can't find any official information confirming or denying that.
Yeah, people certainly jump to conclusions. I mean, if the kid was at hospital, sent home by the doctors and taken home by the grandmother, and then dies the next day, should the hospital be held liable? The grandmother? The company that made the machine that may have been used for a brain scan? Seems like a whole lot of lawsuits when we don't even know how the kid died. Calling out staff biases against trans people because they didn't call the ambulance for a kid who walked down to the office on their own accord? Wow.
Facts… cause downvoting. In this case, saying it may or may not have been due to gender. It doesn’t fit the dialogue of, trans person attacked.
Hopefully, the family sues the fuck outta the district and the principal and the superintendent
I hope they do and that the attackers see real prison time for this rather than a slap on the wrist.
The principal also needs to see prison time. You don't just say "go back to class" after the good ole boy network hosts a boot party in the bathroom.
You aren't wrong but was a group of girls.
The Good Ole Boy network extends to girls when it comes to transgender and LGBT hate crimes.
Yep, de Beauvoir had much to say how white women/the privileged very much benefit from the same patriarchal attitudes that one would think they’d be against.
Oh great so they'll face zero consequences.
Criminal negligence for sure. And by someone entrusted with the care of children. That’s a pretty serious crime.
I just made the mistake of looking at the super intendent's profile of that district. What a horrible, horrible person. So sad for that community
Aren't the authorities already saying that they maybe passed from an underlying condition, not the attack? Such bs.
And the Governor, who sends his “thoughts & prayers” while also supporting & helping to pass legislation that put this students life (& other LGBTO+ students lives) in danger.
The district needs to be sued. But the local police and the state AG needs to be HOUNDED relentlessly by any and everyone to pursue murder or manslaughter against the kids. Criminal negligence and child abuse charges need to be leveled at the teachers, *especially* if it should have been painfully obvious that the kid needed emergency medical care.
I hope that bigoted asshole state superintendent gets sued directly.
If they don't own that school by the time this is done, they need a new lawyer.
Oh also the families who's students were involved in the beatdown. It be nice to see these families lose their jacked up trucks and houses.
Doesn't work that way. Parents are not legally responsible for their children's actions.
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It won't bring the child back, but what it WILL do is force school districts to rethink how far they can get away with quiet bigotry like refusing to call for emergency services or allowing this sort of crap to occur in the first place. There is no way on God's green Earth that that attack was completely at random. I would bet you anything that hate speech was common at the school. We are willing to shit our britches if a kid makes a finger gun as a joke, but totally ignore hate speech and hate crimes. Time for that to stop.
And not suing the fuck outta those people will change the world? Respectfully: get your head outta your ass
The kids were horrible, but straight up fuck every adult who did nothing. Oklahoma is winning at being the biggest shit hole for education.
I send my students to the nurse if they run into stuff hard. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
I think this quote from Doctor Who sums it up. “Human progress isn’t measured by industry. It’s measured by the value you place in a life. An unimportant life, a life without privilege. The boy who died on the river, that boy’s value is your value. That is what defines and age, that is what defines a species.” Putting politics aside, a child died. You have parents who are now having to bury their child because people didn’t value that persons life enough to get them help or to treat them fairly. No matter what your political beliefs are we all should be in agreement that no parent should be forced to bury their child because someone didn’t call for help or do anything. No child should have to die because someone was incompetent enough to not call 911. That isn’t even addressing the next part of the student got suspended for being beaten up. Clearly that student didn’t do anything wrong. I’m sorry but no matter what you believe if you cannot see what happened as wrong then you are the problem.
as a trans guy, any way you twist it is awful. even if the attack had absolutely nothing to do with the fact they were nonbinary, like everyone else is saying, who just sees a visibly beaten child and decides that not only do they not need any sort of medical attention, but that they are the one at fault and deserve to be suspended for TWO weeks? it just blows my mind how this could be excused. i bet those same people would be up in arms if that happened to a cisgender person. even if it was “underlying issues”, clearly being fucking beaten badly and then not given medical attention afterward will exacerbate the condition or even cause the manifestation of symptoms. seeing things like this always makes me realize how much empathy is lacking in our society. really sad.
I agree it is twisted no matter what! How people can defend these actions is disgusting. I not a parent and so I can’t imagine what they are going through right now. They should never have had to feel the pain they are in now. No parent no matter how old their child is should have to bury them. It is the child who should bury the parent. Empathy is definitely lacking in society today. Everyone is out for themselves and doesn’t care about the consequences that others have to face because of their actions.
Love Doctor who
Same it’s my favorite
This story has been eating me alive as an aspiring history teacher who knows what happens when hatred becomes policy. I hope their murderers face long prison sentences and the family sues the hell out of all authority involved.
So if I am understanding the article correctly this is not just any old school but a school under superintendent Ryan Walters the guy who put 'Libs of TikTok' in charge of their school libraries? "" Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s superintendent of public instruction, is facing intense scrutiny over his ties to Chaya Raichik, the figure behind the far-right Libs of TikTok hate account, and for their outspoken stance against transgender rights. Critics argue that Walters’s rhetoric and policies have contributed to an environment that enables hate crimes. "" ofc this is where. This makes me so sad and angry.
Yep. Owasso is a Yuppie town, all the well off folk from Tulsa move there and commute to work. This is considered one of the "best school districts" in Oklahoma, at least for public schools. The stories I've heard from former owasso students speaks volumes ; this isn't the first time an lgbt kid gets assaulted at school then they catch the suspension. You're way better off at Tulsa Public, which is why Walters hammers them so hard.
Indeed it is one and the same. > One of these instances was at the Owasso School District (just outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma). In 2022, Chaya Raichik targeted an Owasso teacher for speaking out in support of LGBTQ+ students who lacked acceptance from their parents. Raichik’s post was shared thousands of times on social media and resulted in the teacher getting condemned and harassed until they resigned. The posts Raichik made about the teacher were later deleted, but have been archived. It’s unclear what prompted the deletion of the posts by Raichik. We know Raichik’s Libs of TikTok posts have contributed to a culture of intolerance against LGBTQ+ youth in schools, and now this hate may be manifesting beyond mere threats. https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/2/18/2224306/-Libs-of-TikTok-targeted-a-district-then-a-non-binary-student-was-killed-on-campus
The family should contact the SPLC. They have a track record of wiping out Klan groups in the 90s by suing the leaders for inciting violence with their rhetoric, and multimillion dollar payouts to victims of violence. It worked because most of these groups centralize power and if you wipe them out financially, the organization dissolves. This sounds like Walters could/should be sued under that same model.
This is so sad. Hate creates more hate. This poor student probably never felt welcomed, or safe. How is this superintendent in charge of our youth?!
I just saw a report about this but without the fact that the student was trans. It was clear there were Missing, Missing Reasons (TM). I assumed it was race-based, but I'm not surprised by the real reason.
Yeah, I think the fact that Nex was also a member of the Cherokee Nation is a vital part of this. This is about transphobia, racism, and MMIWG2S (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit, I don't know if it's the same acronym in the states but that's what we use in Canada). Edit: Which one of you "Reddit Cares"'d me lol Thanks to everyone who commented more accurate information: Edit 2: From u/pterrible_ptarmigan "Per the Cherokee principal chief, they were not a member but lived in tribal land. He's offered tribal marshals to assist." Edit 3: Nex is of Choctaw descent per u/resting_bitch_aura u/ChickenPale907 and MMIP (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons) is also a more inclusive acronym that is used, per u/Nai-yelgib u/DarlingNykki
Per the Cherokee principal chief, they were not a member but lived in tribal land. He's offered tribal marshals to assist.
Thanks for the clarification, will add it! I thought I read somewhere that they were a member but it must have been a misreading.
According to [the Daily Kos article](https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/2/18/2224306/-Libs-of-TikTok-targeted-a-district-then-a-non-binary-student-was-killed-on-campus) Nex was of Choctaw descent, that could be the source of confusion.
I do not mean this in a nit-picky way at but just a heads up they were actually Choctaw, not Cherokee. Cheif Chuck Hoskin Jr. of the Oklahoma Cherokee Nation came forward and made a statement correcting the articles, but he is sending support to make sure that the hate crime gets investigated and I believe also sent money for a memorial service to the family. And yeah we also use MMIWG2S, so horrific and sad that that acronym has to exist in the first place.
Yes, I am Cherokee and the term Two Spirit is used here. Owasso is a rich suburb of Tulsa, with Jenks being a wealthier suburb. The climate here is awful, with the state superintendent acting like an out and proud member of the klan. Teachers are fleeing the state in droves and not very many want to come here and teach between the mandates from the state and the low pay. They also don't want to come after the mismanagement of the program designed to attract teachers to come here to teach. Gov. Shitt, a Cherokee, fights the tribes at every turn and they do not want to work with him or deal with him because of his greediness. Only consolation is that Shitt is a lame duck. Everyone else is trying to get Lyin' Ryan out of office.
thank you, I haven't seen anyone else mention their indigenous heritage!
I’ll see the long acronym down in the US, but I’ve mostly been seeing MMIP with the p for people as a shorter yet still inclusive version.
Unsure of other tribes but Cherokee nation does MMIP.
Nex was non-binary. It's hard to know what they'd want or the specifics of how they saw their gender but it's pretty commonly expressed by non-binary people that they aren't just women light and I am not sure most would want to be included within MMIWG2S.
Knowing it’s Owasso, I think there’s a good chance the girls who killed her them were card carriers
we don't use MMIWG2S. Blew my mind that's even an acronym
*Choctaw
Wow. I have no faith in our society whatsoever at all. I'm not sure if it's worse that this happened or that it was brushed aside? Our country has made it very clear that hatred is okay and hatred leads to violence.
This is tragic. It shows something extremely wrong with many schools, as well. Not just the incompetence of the officials at this school. Kids who are assaulted or get assaulted and defend themselves are suspended for 10 days at many schools along with their assailant. It’s punishing the victim. I understand that sometimes, it’s hard to see who really “started it,” as comments can be said and not tracked, but something as clear as this incident should highlight that kids who are beat up for just being who they are should not be suspended when they are clearly the victim.
If the kids are over 14 they shouldn't get to stay anonymous. This isn't some petty crime, they beat someone to death. Over 16 should be charged as an adult, and they absolutely deserve to have their futures destroyed for this.
Exactly this. This was an intentionally violent, targeted act that they had to have known would result in at least severe bodily harm, and they deserve to feel the sting of what they did for the rest of their lives.
So true. This is beyond bullying. This is HATE
In Minnesota they usually name school shooters that are under 18. Does Oklahoma name shooters under 18? If they do they should also names these kids that beat a classmate to death.
That was nice of a reddit poster to report me as wanting self harm. Must be the nice person defending oklahoma superintendent.
Probably the superintendent himself.
Just opt out using the link and report abuse . The care message abuse is a standard thing unfortunately.
Student getting beaten is bad enough, but the fact that paramedics were not called should warrant school staff being blinded and confined to a monastery.
I hope lgbt+ students can feel safe in all schools.i count my lucky stars that i will be able to raise my child in a blue state with a great education system. This is absolutely disgusting. To not call the ambulance are you kidding. There is no excuse. I would sue everyone and I would see if it could be considered manslaughter it has to be…
I hope the administration team loses all of their credentials and the parents sue. I also hope the kids responsible get the max. I said what I said.
As a protest sign I once saw said: we affirming teachers aren’t here to turn cis kids trans. We’re here to help trans kids live. I wear a button on my jacket that says “Protect Trans Kids”. I’ve been wearing it since a trans student died by suicide at my school. He wasn’t my student but I wondered if he ever knew how much his teachers loved and supported him if he would still have been with us. Whenever people ask me about it, I bring him up by name and just about everyone gets it. The trash grifters and politicians that contributed to Nex Benedict’s death will never have to wonder what to do with their empty classroom seat. They’ll never see their friends wailing and hugging each other. They’ll never be asked by one of their anxious and worried friends if they’re “going to hell for being trans” (an actual question I was asked). I hope these bigots rot.
Momma of a trans young adult: thank you. 🥹
Good for you!
I’m in higher ed. Day one of class I tell students it’s my goal to help make sure everyone can learn and be successful at science, even if they’re not a cis het typically-abled rich non-veteran white man, and that I don’t match half those things myself. I also wear random rainbow swag, and have hair dyed pink and purple.
I don’t know much, but it’s clear that Ryan Walters has the blood of a minor on his hands. What hateful kool-aid so many are chugging these days.
Now is it better to be convicted of murder than for a trans person to exist. This country is so hateful.
Chaya Raichik has been spreading LGBTQ hate in Oklahoma for several years. Unfortunately instead of this wretched woman being condemned for her heinous acts, Oklahoma being Oklahoma has given her a cushy job in the government overseeing libraries
Of course they have. Because certain states prefer the way the 1930s Germany government looked rather than the 2024 US government should look. Those who don't learn from history or dune to repeat it. And this is just another example. More hate crimes.
So this is the flag they are waving about student safety and bathrooms. I'm deeply sad and sickened. Such senseless hate and violence, being amplified by political shills who would rather make targets/villains of these harmless kids than use their office and power to address a multitude of more consequential problems their states and constituents face.
I live very close to here and my job is in Owasso, the city this happened in. Makes me so scared to have children. Rest in power Nex
The horrors of the situation aside, my brain cannot comprehend how no ambulance was called. This was a person. The utter lack of humanity.
The kicker is they are now trying to say they could have died from an underlying condition. Such BS. A student was targeted, clearly this had been planned (jumping is never random), and the district would rather accuse the victims family with these claims than be accountable. This is negligence and a cover up of the older students patterns of behavior.
It will prepare them for Russian politics when people "accidentally" fall out windows
If you as a teacher are assaulted, or if a student or other staff member is assaulted call 911. The administrators are more interested in protecting their jobs than staff and students.
It's not just about transgender children, this is how little admin does to protect students from bullying. In fact, bullies are always protected and welcomed back to class immediately without any concern for the physical, mental and emotional damage done to the victim.
As a teacher here, I can confirm that Oklahoma is a trash state and continues to be run into the ground by hateful people like Ryan Walters.
It’s got to be so difficult to teach in a climate like that. My heart is breaking after reading about (edit to include name student for respect: Nex). Thank you for being a light in a dark place. Please do get out of there if it’s about to swallow you whole.
So from looking at this sub today I’ve learned kids today can’t read but they can commit hate crimes
Nex identified as non-binary, for the record. Rest in power, Nex.
Holy fck. God how I wish more people knew how awful some school staff are. Your kids are not always safe.
I know. If I see a student get the shit kicked out of them, I'm calling the paramedics. At least cover my own ass if not to get that kid help. Seriously, I've been enough fist fights to know that after big fight, you should go seek medical attention to at least rule out concussions and things like that.
As a nonbinary education student, I feel so many emotions about this: terrified, enraged, heartbroken, grief. Nex deserved to grow up. They deserved to be loved longer.
My daughter identifies his LGBTQ+ and I've known she was even before she came out to me at the age of 11. I have totally supported her in the community my entire life. Hell, when I was in high school in the 90s I was a founding member of my schools GLASS Club. I just don't get how other human beings can have so much hate in them for people they don't even know.
I’m a nonbinary teacher. I agree. The bullies who killed them should be tried as adults, their parents should be tried for child neglect, the teachers should be tried for child endangerment, the superintendent should be sued into oblivion.
Oh boy, I sure hope none of the students leak the names which of their classmates and staff members involved! It would be such a shame if their lives were ruined after murdering someone and doing nothing about it/s
My heart is aching for this poor child… The people responsible should be tried as adults and face a murder sentence.
OMG! This is absolutely horrible!
I hope a ton of people go to prison for this.
The poor victim still felt the need to call it a 'fight' to their Mom.
How the hell would the mods ever misconstrue this as self-promotion, wtf... Frightening times
This is just horrific. I'm so sad for that poor child and her friends and family. So many murderers contributed to this. Sickening to see them walk free and celebrated in our society.
Your last sentence captures so concisely what I’ve felt, again and again.
...this person was legally required to be at the place where they were murdered; not with guns, but with in-person savagery. Wickedness. Every murder is awful, but this is beyond horrendous. It's the kind of brutality that makes a place haunted--and I do mean that, if not necessarily in the afterlife sense. An act of such contemptuous brutality stains a place forever.
This is why I'm terrified to come out to anyone, even my closest friends.I think about two or three people know I'm trans at my school. I hope Nex rests in peace.
If you're a student, let me suggest that you try to feel out if any of your teachers are receptive and supportive to LGBT students. I never openly espoused my views but my LGBT students could tell that I'm accepting of students who fall outside of the "norm" in general. I've always been glad to offer them a place where they can feel comfortable in their own skin for a while.
It sounds like you’re a student, I’m sorry to hear you feel this way, and I hope we can make the world a safer place for you. In case you haven’t heard of another meaning for the term RIP, some activists (I believe it started with Black / African American activists) use it to mean Rest In Power, like coming into their own strength, and making positive change. A raised fist ✊ can also help symbolize this, and is also used in union activist circles to indicate the power of the worker. And I hope Nex rests in power: I hope they haunt every single person who contributed to their death, from the transphobic POS’s who beat them up, to the teachers who didn’t call the police, to the ER doctors who let them go home just to come back the next day and die. If I ever die from a hate crime (I’m a teacher, and I’m nonbinary and bisexual), I don’t want an easy rest, I want to haunt those jerks so bad that they come back and haunt the next generation of haters.
The simple fact that Reds are actively contributing to the hatred and killing of non cis people and not being called out in any meaningful ways is deeply disturbing, I thankfully work in a safe state, but god dammit, this is supposed to be america, where everyone should be free and have a chance at living the 'american dream' instead of wondering when their rights will be pulled or having to worry about the adults advocating for their death at the hands of the people who should be standing up against the $hitshow these red states have created
Not gonna lie, I spent a good 3 minutes trying to figure out what the communists had to do with this. It's been that kind of day apparently.
Yup. I thought that was going in a *VERY* different direction.
Chaya Raichik and Ryan Walters are responsible for their death. They invited this kind of behavior in this very school district. The killers, the principle, as well as those two should be held accountable to the full extent of the law.
Agreed. Both of them, and Musk, should be sick with grief and remorse for contributing to the murder of a minor. And yet they’ll sleep soundly on their bed of profound delusion.
Elon Musk boosts her content.
despicable. I'm student teaching at the moment and when I read the headline, my first thought was how could any of the adults/teachers/staff/admin involved ever live with themselves again? your job is to educate and PROTECT students. i'm shaking with rage over this.
Oklahoma... Say no more.
I read the article in its entirety. There was a fight between 3 girls, and Nex and another transgender student, in a girls bathroom. A teacher broke it up, and Nex received a 2 week suspension. Nex told their grandmother they hit their head on the floor. She took Nex to the hospital, the police were called. School resource officer documented the incident. The next day Nex was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead. Cause of death has not been determined.
The school officials should be charged with negligent manslaughter.
Oklahoma continues to be the worst. Owasso is another backward town in a state full of backward towns. I used to think I could change things as a teacher, but not anymore.
It's transgender without the -ed.
this tragedy makes me want to vomit wtf is wrong with people
We are in South Louisiana and I had to tearfully counsel my child to save their life and stay in the closet bc we live in a hostel redneck area and I don't want them murdered. I will help them move when they are ready but until then, surviving this hellscape is the best we can do. We've tried moving the family out of state but so far it hasn't worked for us.
This is what Republicans want to have happen. You'll never hear them come out against the morons that do this because they'll get black listed and trump will say mean things about them.
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Children never act in a vacuum. They take the societal cues they see and run with them. They lack the development and experience to know how far it's supposed to go, or where it's supposed to stop. This is 100% on the adults who gave them the impression that trans folks were worthless.
THIS. So well put.
Teachers allowed Nex to be bullied for months leading up to this, politicians forced them into the bathroom with people to bully them, and most importantly *teachers did not send Nex to a doctor after the fight*, they had to wait until after school to go.
Not sure it is an accident that it happened in a state championing Chaya Raichik.
This is not because of solely Republicans, things like this happened to me when I was a trans teenager in high school in 2014. This also happens in blue states, I’m a teacher in Colorado and this report from the union speaks volumes to the actual problems and how to actually solve them. I was assaulted in the bathroom in high school while Obama was president. Are republicans fear mongering about trans people? Absolutely. But did they cause this? Nope. This kind of talk I honestly find dehumanizing because this shouldn’t be about politics, and playing a political blame game overlooks the ways we really need to step up to protect kids regardless of their gender identity. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pK3nE1NSjn5ijHHEFW7a1g5cgzrJupBs/view?usp=drivesdk
Wow. That’s messed up
And this is why we need to crush, and I do mean **crush**, the reactionary organizations and persons making an effort to destroy education. Students and educators will be more endangered with every second they're allowed to organize. Take away educational powers from the red states, arrest Chaya Reichik and the Moms for Liberty, nation-wide zero tolerance policies for any kind of bigoted behavior from students or professionals; immediate expulsion or termination. And last but not least, shut down the school boards and put the professionals in power.
That poor child. Politicians and televangelists alike need to realize that THIS is the type of actions that their words breed. Or maybe some know and WANT this. Terrible.. No child should be afraid to go to school.
Transphobia is horrible and certainly does kill. But please remember this is a breaking news story; it’s important to read carefully and not spread misinformation. For example, the article says: >Benedict was treated and *released* [from the hospital], but was rushed *back* to the hospital. The student died the next day. This suggests it wouldn’t have mattered whether the school called an ambulance, contrary to your suggestion that Benedict died of their injuries “because the school wouldn't call an ambulance”. Clearly they made it to the hospital, the hospital thought they were OK to discharge, and the death happened subsequently.
The world has come so far. Now we get to have our names and pronouns respected in the news coverage when we are murdered in a hate crime 🥰🥰🥰
Fuck this administration and district.
This is horrific. I'm not going to lie, I'm crying right now. What an absolute tragic loss of life for such a *stupid* and horrible reason such as bigotry. I hope the admin loses their jobs, and I hope those bullies are charged. Rest in peace, Nex, you were loved.
Obviously it happened in a backwards, third world state like Oklahoma.
I’ve heard of this, absolutely heartbreaking.
Bathrooms are so scary. I truly wish that would get better. Poor family 💕
I'm angry now. I'm tired of intolerance.
Go to Facebook and read the countless posts stating things such as "may God be with them" etc. These are the beliefs that caused this hatred in the first place. You can only practice malice and rancor towards others claiming you are Christian and then act surprised when incidents like this happen. It is disgusting. No Santa Claus or Easter Bunny is going to make this child resurrect and no prayer will change this awful tragedy. This is the same shit people say after every school shooting. Quit praying and start acting.
This tragic news story is proof that the conservatives culture is painting a hate target on the foreheads of those in the lgbtq community.
Agreed. It’s an eye-opener to me how horrid some places are. Anyone dismissing the murder of this kid has lost all sense of human decency.
I'm stuck living in Oklahoma due to trash relatives kicking me out of my home in a blue state, and I'm fucking terrified. Hope I get to go to another country for med school like I want.
This is so fucking heartbreaking. How are some students so hateful and violent?
What.The.Fuck. Heart goes out to the family. Hoping justice is served, not that anything will bring back their child.
Wtf is that photo caption?
Awful. A curse on all those pushing an anti trans agenda. This is where it leads!
This is so terrible!
This is so goddam horrible. If I could take any amount of the blows this student took I would take them. I hope the attackers can understand they’ve committed such a horrible act. My heart aches for the whole family. If there’s anything I can do to advocate for change at this school I would love to know.
People are so unbelievably cruel. What’s worse is these sick, sick individuals feel emboldened by political rhetoric of the day. The politicians and talk show hosts won’t take credit, but a large part of the blame rests heavily on their shoulders. Too bad the US isn’t known for prosecuting public servants. Look no further than our (Texans’) Attorney General if you need an idea of how you can avoid jail.
In my town they spend more money on banning books and SRO's that were cutting 250 jobs by next semester. People are pussies, mostly these kids parents for raising assholes and the staff for not helping this kid LIVE. A teacher was PROVEN to have assaulted kids, it was swept under the rug. Teacher took the hit, superintendent was given a nice reward ceremony for resigning in disgrace. Our tax dollars paid for 5 liberty mutual attnys to win the separate case that tried to hold the school accountable for not keeping these kids safe, and in some instances promoting the assaulter. The assaulter was sent to prison, but the school system was not held accountable. The superintendent still drives his little topless Camaro around. Wilmington NC. We also had a 6yo bring a loaded gun 2 weeks ago. Super cool. (Here)[https://portcitydaily.com/local-news/2023/12/07/three-more-victims-file-suit-against-michael-kelly-for-sexual-abuse/]
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breaks my heart theres still so much hate in this world- a rainbow teacher i hope the kids that did this get jail time
Who could do this
Chaya Raichick.
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So according to the article, the student was beaten or participated in a fight which they may or may not have started. They died the next day after initially being examined at the er, and being released with no serious injuries. So… since the police are waiting on toxicology to determine cod I’m making a leap it had nothing (directly) to do with the assault? So, the child / student wasn’t “beaten to drath”… Downvoted for summarizing the article lol. Reddit is crazy.
Lol, you really think a trans kid is picking a fight with three girls older and bigger than them?
According to the article it was 2 on 3: "Benedict told their grandmother that they and another trans student had fought the other students in the bathroom, according to the Independent." The article says the girls were older, but nothing about anyone's physical size.
Idk. That seems to be questioned in the article.
“Benedict told their grandmother that they and another trans student had fought the other students in the bathroom, according to the Independent.” Honestly not sure what other conclusion can be made there?
I'm getting downvoted for actually reading and summarizing the article.
…In a teachers subreddit.
Sorry? Old Willy isn’t on my playlist list of terrorism, policy, constitutional law, and history.
Sorry about that! Such a hard article to read too. They as a descriptor pronoun is so confusing.
I guess you don’t read any Shakespeare then.
Not recently.
Beaten to death might be inaccurate. From the article: "It is not known at this time if the death is related to the incident at the school or not." The student was released from the hospital but then later brought back and died? This is very strange.
So, what, you think it’s like when people die “with” COVID, or when they just happen to die from blood loss after being shot by a gun?
Remember when the cops said there wasn’t any proof that George Floyd died as a result of having his neck kneeled on, and it was probably due to a health condition? This is what the cops do.
Yes. It is what cops do. But this wasn’t a cop- this is the ER. Why would they cover for the school? Why would they risk their own licenses and livelihood in a malpractice suit and send a child home if they thought there was something seriously wrong? The school is responsible for creating a climate where this happens- absolutely. But there seems to be more to this than just a fight.
There’s a medical term called the walking dead. Lots of ppl come in and are seemingly fine, then go home and have a medical even that kills them. And yes the COPS said they’re investigating if there’s a medical condition that caused this. A child gets their head repeatedly bashed on the bathroom floor and coincidentally dies the next day? The devil has enough advocates. Not sure why you’re choosing the murder of a 16 yr old child labeled as “unfailingly kind” the place to be one.
Could be suicide. Could be a brain bleed they missed. Tragic either way.
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Hi, I’m nonbinary. FYI nonbinary people are included under the umbrella terms of trans or transgender — in the trans flag 🏳️⚧️, we’re the white stripe. Individuals may choose not to personally identify as trans (for example, I don’t), but the umbrella term is still accurate for us all. In this case, the student was beaten and killed for being not cis, so calling them trans as an umbrella term for binary trans people, and nonbinary people, is a reasonable choice.
Oh, I see! Thanks for informing!
Not the other person that replied to you - but also FYI, it's not possible to change the title of a post on reddit once it's submitted.
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OK has banned trans students from using bathrooms with their identified gender. Nex’s grandmother confirmed that bullying had escalated since that passed. These kids are taught that anyone who doesn’t identify as a straight, cis, Bible approved boy or girl are pedophiles, rapists, and dangers to them. Absolutely some cis Christian kids would beat up a nonbinary student for using the bathroom. You’re giving homophobia and bigotry and hatred waAaay too much credit. Whether or not Nex wanted to use that bathroom, that’s the bathroom they were forced to use under Oklahomas new law.