The U.S. Division of Training mentioned on Friday that it had opened an investigation into the Oklahoma college district the place a 16-year-old pupil, Nex Benedict, died a day after an altercation inside a highschool lavatory.
The division mentioned in a letter on Friday that it was investigating whether or not Owasso Public Faculties, outdoors Tulsa, had “didn’t appropriately reply to alleged harassment of scholars” in violation of federal legislation, together with Title IX. It mentioned the investigation was in response to a grievance introduced by the Human Rights Marketing campaign, an L.G.B.T.Q. advocacy group.
The demise of Nex, an Owasso Excessive College sophomore who was nonbinary, drew nationwide consideration after homosexual and transgender rights teams mentioned Nex had been bullied at college due to their gender identification. Nex used they and them pronouns in addition to he and him pronouns, buddies mentioned.
After the altercation, Nex spoke to a police officer at a neighborhood hospital and, in line with a video of the interview launched by the Owasso Police Division, described pouring water on three ladies who had been choosing on Nex and Nex’s buddies for the way in which they dressed. The ladies then attacked and fought with Nex, who advised the police officer that they fell to the bottom and “blacked out” at one level.
The following day, Nex’s grandmother and guardian known as for an ambulance to hurry Nex again to the hospital, the place they had been pronounced lifeless.
The reason for Nex’s demise stays below investigation by the state health worker. The Police Division mentioned in an announcement final month that the demise was not the results of trauma, however has not elaborated.
Nex’s demise introduced scrutiny to Oklahoma’s restrictive legal guidelines and insurance policies for L.G.B.T.Q. college students and to the bullying that relations and buddies mentioned Nex had suffered at college.
Karen E. Mines, an performing regional director with the Training Division’s Workplace of Civil Rights, mentioned within the letter that the opening of an investigation “under no circumstances implies that O.C.R. has made a willpower on the deserves of the grievance.”
In an announcement, the college district mentioned that it was “dedicated to cooperating with federal officers” and that it “believes the grievance submitted by H.R.C. isn’t supported by the details and is with out benefit.”
The Human Rights Marketing campaign’s president, Kelley Robinson, mentioned, “We’d like them to behave urgently so there will be justice for Nex, and so that every one college students at Owasso Excessive College and each college in Oklahoma will be secure from bullying, harassment and discrimination.”
At a vigil for Nex final month, Robin Ingersoll, a 16-year-old sophomore and buddy of Nex at Owasso Excessive College, mentioned that Nex recognized as transgender and that L.G.B.T.Q. college students had struggled to search out acceptance of their nook of Oklahoma.
“In Owasso, it’s worse than the bullying,” Robin mentioned. “We might all study extra acceptance of others, and be higher so one thing like this doesn’t occur once more. We might all develop for Nex.”
Ben Fenwick contributed reporting from Owasso, Okla.