Background: Trans-rights activists protest outside the House chamber at the Oklahoma Capitol before the State of the State address, Feb. 6, 2023, in Oklahoma City (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File). Inset: Nex Benedict (via GoFundMe).

Authorities are investigating the death of a 16-year-old nonbinary student in Tulsa who died just one day after a fight in the high school bathroom the student was required by law to use. Nex Benedict was beaten, suffered facial bruises and head injuries from the fight, then died from their injuries. Benedict’s mother said her child had been bullied for over a year because of their gender identity.

The Owasso Police Department said in a statement Tuesday that on Feb. 7, an unnamed student was involved in a “physical altercation” at Owasso High School West Campus near Tulsa, Oklahoma. The department said that it received no report by the school, and that it is still unknown whether the student’s death is related to the incident at the school. Autopsy and toxicology results are still being processed.

Although it has not been officially reported that the fight related to the student’s bathroom use, school bathrooms have been a major issue in Oklahoma and other states.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, signed SB 615 into law in May 2022, advancing the state’s conservative agenda and further restricting the rights of transgender individuals. Oklahoma also banned gender-affirming care for minors and restricted transgender participation in sports.