Non-binary teen Nex Benedict's death ruled a suicide
March 13 (UPI) -- The death of 16-year-old nonbinary student Nex Benedict, who was bullied and injured in a school fight last month, has been ruled a suicide by overdose, the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner's office announced Wednesday.
The autopsy report listed the probable cause of death as a toxic combination of Diphenhydramine and Fluoxetine. Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine to relieve allergies. Fluoxetine is an antidepressant.
Benedict died Feb. 8, one day after a fight with three girls, who were accused of bullying the teen inside a bathroom at Owasso High School. The 10th-grader was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital before being released.
Benedict was rushed back to the hospital the following day and later died. The teen's death grabbed national attention and sparked widespread outrage, with vigils and protests throughout the country.
In response, the Owasso, Okla., Police Department, which also found that the injuries sustained during the fight were not the cause of death, released body cam footage of their interview with Benedict in the hospital. The footage, which has more than 138,000 views, shows officer Caleb Thompson interviewing Benedict at Bailey Medical Center on the afternoon of Feb. 7. Nex's mother is also present.
"I was talking with my friends, they were talking with their friends, and we were laughing and they had said something like, 'Why do they laugh like that?' And they were talking about us in front of us," Benedict said.
"And so I went up there and I poured water on them. And then all three of them came at me," Benedict adds. "They came at me, they grabbed my hair, I grabbed onto them. I threw one of them into a paper towel dispenser and then they got my legs out from under me, got me on the ground, started beating the [expletive] out of me."
Thompson acknowledges in the video that assault charges were filed against the three girls, but warned that Benedict could also face charges for potentially instigating the fight by pouring water on the alleged attackers. The Benedicts ultimately decided not to file against the girls.
Owasso Public Schools is currently under federal investigation for potential discrimination related to Benedict's death. The Department of Education is looking into whether school officials failed to "appropriately respond" to allegations of sex- and disability-based discrimination at the school.
On Wednesday, Owasso Public Schools released a statement following the medical examiner's report.
"The loss of Nex, a member of the Ram Family and the Owasso community, is devastating. We understand that the information released today may bring up additional thoughts, feelings and emotions for students and staff members," the district wrote, while providing information on counseling resources and crisis hotlines.
"As we mourn together, OPS remains focused on the safety and well-being of our students and staff. Let's continue to lean on each other in the days ahead."
