Nonbinary teen who died after bathroom beating sent series of heart-breaking texts describing how they ‘got jumped at school’
The Oklahoma teen who died the day after a fight inside their school bathroom sent a series of texts to a family member that described the beating, according to a report.
Nex Benedict, 16, who was nonbinary, according to their grandmother, messaged the unidentified relative to tell of the attack by a group of girls.
“I got jumped at school, 3 on 1, had to go to ER,” the teen wrote on February 7, according to Fox 23.
Benedict indicated at the time the damage was manageable.
“All good, just scraped and bruises,” the sophomore responded when asked if they were OK. “Got a shot in the butt for my pain but I’m still dizzy and nauseous in the morning. I might have a concussion.”
Asked what led to the confrontation, Benedict cited being harassed at school.
“They had been bullying me and my friends and I got tired of it so I poured some water on them and all 3 came after me. School did not report it and is probably going to getting sued,” the texts continued.
Benedict was released from the hospital that same day, but collapsed the following morning and was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The Owasso High School sophomore had been repeatedly bullied before the bathroom attack because of their gender identity, according to the grandmother.
“I didn’t know how bad it had gotten,” Bendict’s mom told the outlet.
The school and local police have yet to determine if Benedict’s death was a direct result of the fight or from an unrelated condition.
The mother of one of Benedict’s friends who was also involved in the brawl said the assailants were “beating her head across the floor.”
As the story went viral Tuesday, the school issued a statement saying the fight lasted two minutes and claimed it was broken up by a student and a teacher.
The release also denied reports that Benedict was unable to walk to the principal’s office after the melee.
The district said the parents and guardians of students involved were “notified and informed of the option to file a police report.”
Benedict’s relatives said they were the first party to contact police after the teen was taken to the emergency room, and the school did not reach out to law enforcement.
Owasso police said they are still investigating the case.
“No report of the incident was made to the Owasso Police Department prior to the notification at the hospital,” the department said in a statement.
Benedict’s friends and family, who are all shattered by the loss, said the teen was a straight-A student, animal lover and avid cook.
A vigil commemorating Benedict’s life is scheduled for Sunday.
A GoFundMe for the teen’s family had raised more than $60,000 as of Wednesday.
Benedict’s grandmother, Sue Benedict, wrote a note on the page apologizing for not using Benedict’s preferred pronouns when speaking to the press this week.
“Please do not judge us as Nex was judged, please do not bully us for our ignorance on the subject,” she wrote.
“Nex gave us that respect and we are sorry in our grief that we overlooked them. I lost my child, the headstone will have [the] correct name of their choice.”
