Freedom Oklahoma statement in response to Oklahoma ME's full autopsy report in the case of nex benedict
March 27, 2024
This morning, during trans week of advocacy and action, the day before the State Board of Education meets, seven weeks after Nex Benedict died, two weeks after summary results were released, the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner's Office released a full autopsy report for Nex Benedict. It does not differ from summary reports, and while it does leave us with questions about why these reports have taken so long to be shared with the public, it does not offer many of the answers folks are still seeking. And it does nothing to change the fundamental injustice of the situation: Nex Benedict was a 16 year-old Indigenous student at an Oklahoma school who was relentlessly bullied for his transness for over a year, and who died the day after being physically beaten in a school bathroom. Nex is a 16 year-old, who should still be alive. And tomorrow a governing body that has empowered so much of the harm against trans students will meet. And no one in or beyond that body has yet taken seriously the need to address their role in the harm and take action to keep 2SLGBTQ+ students safe.
In response to today's report release, Nicole McAfee, they/she, Executive Director of Freedom Oklahoma issued the following statement:
“We continue to await the results of the independent investigation into Nex's death. And we know that another round of discussion about suicide and suicidality lands especially hard for our 2SLGBTQ+ and Indigenous communities. There is no report that absolves those in leadership from their failures to keep 2SLGBTQ+ youth safe. Nex Benedict should still be alive, and the least we can do in Nex's memory is take urgent action to address the continued hostile school environments 2SLGBTQ+ students across Oklahoma are subjected to on a daily basis.
2SLGBTQ+ people have always been, and will always be in Oklahoma. We deserve the safety to learn, to thrive here. We deserve decision makers at every level of governance who are doing everything within their power to ensure our youngest and most vulnerable residents are safe.
We could spend time asking why this unaccredited office has released these results slowly over the course of weeks, months after a student died, but we imagine we will only continue to be frustrated by the lack of urgency and transparency from the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s office.
Ultimately we are grounding ourselves this week, Trans Week of Advocacy and Action, in the need to create community and safety for 2STGNC+ Oklahomans. During our annual People's Hearing at the Capitol yesterday, we heard from folks across the state that the hostile, dangerous environment Nex was subjected to as a trans person enrolled in an Oklahoma public school, is not unique to Owasso. And, if those causing and permitting that harm won't take accountability, we will continue to organize to create safety, and demand those in power meet this moment with the urgent changes it deserves.
Freedom Oklahoma awaits the results of the U.S. Department of Education investigation into the conditions of Nex Benedict’s death, as well as the results from Nex's family’s private investigative team. We will continue to push for comprehensive protections covering all 2SLGBTQ+ students across Oklahoma, Indian Country, and beyond.”
At continued events marking this week, you can join us as we march from the South side of the Oklahoma Capitol to the State Board of Education meeting Thursday March 28 at 10 AM, and for our Trans Day of Visibility Celebration Saturday March 30 in Oklahoma City and Sunday March 31 in Tulsa. You can find information on those events as well as our monthly virtual meeting spaces at https://www.freedomoklahoma.org/events and updates across Freedom Oklahoma social media. You can send some love to our trans community as part of our annual love letters to trans Oklahomans project at bit.ly/transoklove and youth can submit letters to Nex as well as peers to GSA Network at https://ourtranstruth.org/loveletters2tysubmissions/.
We know that stories discussing anti-trans rhetoric and suicide have a measurable impact on the mental health of 2SLGBTQ+ Oklahomans. We ask that stories covering this content lift up 2SLGBTQ+ affirming crisis support options such as Rainbow Youth Project (317-643-4888), Trans Lifeline (877-565-8860), the Trevor Project (call 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678), SAGE x HearMe Hotline, and the LGBT Hotline (888-843-4564).