Article Summary –
Over 40 students walked out of Owasso High School in Oklahoma to protest a bullying culture they say resulted in a student’s death. Nex Benedict, 16, a transgender student, died a day after a fight with students who had bullied him; the cause of death has not been determined as toxicology results are pending. Students state that reporting bullying to the school authorities yields no change, and the walkout served as a protest against the school’s handling of such incidents.
Owasso High School Students Protest Against Bullying Culture
Forty students at Owasso High School in Oklahoma staged a walkout in protest over the prevalent culture of unchecked bullying. The students claim that the school’s negligent attitude towards bullying led to the death of a student.
Nex Benedict, aged 16, lost his life on February 8 following a bathroom brawl at the school’s West Campus. He narrated the incident to a police officer, revealing that he was attacked by three students for throwing water at them in retaliation for their bullying over his and a friend’s attire.
Nex, who identified as transgender and used he/him and they/them pronouns, regularly suffered bullying due to his gender identity. He had once expressed to his mother that he saw no point in reporting the harassment to the school administration.
According to some Owasso students, many LGBTQ students and others victimized due to their identities feel that their complaints are either dismissed or not acted upon constructively by the school.
An Owasso High School representative, Brock Crawford, insisted that students are educated about reporting bullying during an annual assembly. He affirmed that the school takes bullying accusations seriously and encourages students to report such incidents.
Regardless of the school’s statement, a senior student at Owasso who uses they/them pronouns and wishes to remain anonymous due to fear of bullying says that many believe there’s no point in informing the administration about such incidents. They claim that nothing ever changes, despite numerous complaints.
The student-led protest was not political, according to Kane, a nonbinary student who used to attend Owasso High School and is now a senior taking online classes. Kane organized a 5-minute silence in honor of Nex during the walkout.
The Owasso Police Department announced that preliminary information from Nex’s autopsy indicated that his death was not trauma-related. A full autopsy report will be released once a pending toxicology exam is complete.
Kane, one of the organizers of the walkout, stated: “What matters is the fact that they died after getting bullied, and that is the story for so many other students. I’ve been close to ending it myself because of bullying. It’s not new for so many students.”
Robin Gray Ingersoll, a friend of Nex, added: “We matter, and we will fight in his honor. Because that’s what he was about — fighting and sticking up for himself.”
The walkout attracted one counter-protester who made anti-LGBTQ remarks. As he spoke about AIDS and Jesus Christ, students bearing signs that read, “trans youth belong” surrounded him.
Although the school administration has a policy prohibiting bullying, it seems that many students are not aware of it or how to report incidents. Despite the ongoing crisis, the school continues to stress its commitment to providing a safe learning environment for all students.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or the TrevorLifeline at 1-866-488-7386.
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