Bullied Transgender Teen Dies After Alleged Assault By Students In Oklahoma

Sixteen-year-old Nex Benedict died the day after a "physical altercation" at their high school.

A transgender student died earlier this month after they were allegedly assaulted by their peers in a bathroom at their Oklahoma school.

The Owasso Police Department said that 16-year-old Nex Benedict was treated at a hospital on Feb. 7 after a “physical altercation” at Owasso High School. The police said they had not received a report about the incident prior to being notified by the hospital about it.

Benedict was allegedly beaten by three girls in the girls’ bathroom and suffered severe head injuries after being knocked to the ground, according to the Independent. Their mother, Sue Benedict, told the news site that Nex was covered in bruises on their face and eyes and had scratches on the back of their head.

After being treated and discharged from the hospital, the teen returned home and went to sleep with a sore head, their mother said. The next day, Nex Benedict was rushed to the hospital after collapsing in their living room, where they were pronounced dead that evening.

Sue Benedict told the Independent that Nex had been bullied since early last year, not long after Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signed a law requiring students to use bathrooms that align with the sex listed on their birth certificates.