No charges to be filed in death of Oklahoma nonbinary teen

22/3/2024 12:10

        Prosecutors on Thursday announced that no criminal charges would be filed in the death of nonbinary Oklahoma teenager Nex Benedict, who died one day after a fight at school that may have followed bullying due to Benedict's gender identity.
        
        The Oklahoma medical examiner on March 13 ruled that Benedict died by suicide from ingesting antidepressants and antihistamines, while also finding nonlethal wounds from the fight on Benedict's nose and mouth.
        
        The case of Benedict, 16, has drawn scrutiny from LGBTQ advocates who believe school officials may have overlooked abuse, and it has led to a civil rights investigation by the U.S. Department of Education to determine if any laws were broken or whether the school district failed to respond to harassment.
        
        Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler called Benedict's death a tragedy in a statement, but said the conduct of juveniles involved in the fight in the girls' restroom failed to rise to the standard of a prosecutable crime.