Share this @internewscast.com

Officials acknowledged unresolved questions Tuesday about a 16-year-old Oklahoma student who died one day after a fight in a high school bathroom.

The Feb. 7 fight happened at the Owasso High School West Campus, northeast of Tulsa, police and school officials said. 

Chuck Hoskin Jr., principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, identified the teen Tuesday as Nex Benedict.

Nex was not a citizen of the nation but lived on the Cherokee reservation, Hoskin said in a statement. He said he had asked local authorities to assist the Owasso Police Department in its investigation of Nex’s death.

“The facts relating to Nex’s death are not yet fully clear,” Hoskin said, adding: “The more we learn about Nex’s life, the more we come to know a wonderful child whose experience and identity mattered and was worth celebrating. Above all, Nex deserved to live a full life.”

“It was cut tragically short,” he said. “May Nex rest in peace.”

Nex’s mother told the Independent that the 16-year-old had been bullied at school over their gender identity. Efforts by NBC News to reach Nex’s family were unsuccessful.

It’s unclear if the alleged bullying was linked to Nex’s Feb. 8 death. The student’s cause of death has not been made public, and the Owasso Police Department said Tuesday that it was unclear if the fight was related to the death. An investigation into the matter is ongoing, the department said.

The Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office did not provide additional details Tuesday.

In a statement Tuesday, Owasso Public Schools said that “speculation and misinformation” about the case had intensified in recent days over the “district’s commitment to student safety & security.”

“We understand the importance of ensuring a safe and inclusive environment for all students and know that the information below doesn’t change the facts that a fight occurred on school grounds and a student passed away the next day,” the statement said.

School district officials said the students involved in the fight were in the restroom for less than two minutes and the altercation was broken up by other students, along with a staff member who was supervising outside the bathroom.

All of the students “walked under their own power” to the nurse and assistant principal’s office after the fight, and administrators took statements and contacted their parents, according to the district.

The students were also given a health assessment by a district registered nurse, per protocol, school officials said.

“Out of an abundance of caution,” the parent of one student was advised to take their child to a medical facility for further evaluation, the district said in its statement.

Police were called to Bailey Medical Center by a parent who wanted to report that the student had been in a fight, according to the police statement. A school resource officer also responded to the hospital.

The teen was pronounced dead the next day, the police department said.

Sue Benedict, who identified herself as the student’s mother to KJRH, told the station that her child was a straight-A student who loved animals and enjoyed cooking. 

The district said the death was “devastating.”

“We recognize the impact that this event has had on the entire school community, and it is our priority to foster an environment where everyone feels heard, supported, and safe,” district officials said.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Pennsylvania officials report intermittent failures in statewide 911 service

Pennsylvania Authorities Announce Sporadic Issues with Statewide 911 Service

Pennsylvania officials reported statewide issues Friday with the state’s 911 system.  “Pennsylvania…
EMBARGOED TO 0001 SUNDAY JULY 6 File photo dated 10/06/25 of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during a reception for London Tech Week, at no 10 Downing Street, London. Sir Keir Starmer has been urged not to "punish" children by keeping the two-child cap following Labour's U-turn on benefit cuts. The SNP urged the Prime Minister to end the limit amid reports it could stay as a result of Labour scrapping most of its welfare reforms. Issue date: Sunday July 6, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire

Keir Affirms His Commitment to ‘Island of Strangers’ Message, Emphasizing the Need for UK to Be an Integrated Society

SIR Keir Starmer has affirmed his ongoing commitment to the message behind…
Motorcycle police officer writing a traffic ticket.

New Law Imposes ‘$5 Per Mile’ Fine for Drivers from August 1, Alongside Increased Parking Ticket Fees

TICKET fees are about to face a major hike for certain drivers…
A six-year-old girl and a 45-year-old man.

Groom, 45, Marries 6-Year-Old in Disturbing Wedding That Shocks Even the Taliban, Highlighting the Tragic Reality of Child Brides

A 45-year-old groom allegedly married a six-year-old girl in Afghanistan in a…
Judge orders Trump administration to halt indiscriminate immigration stops, arrests in California

Court Mandates Trump Administration to Cease Random Immigration Checks and Arrests in California

LOS ANGELES — A federal judge on Friday commanded the Trump administration…
Close-up of Maria Shalaeva.

Putin Official Accused of Using $100M Military Jets to Fly Young Mistress Amid Kremlin Scandal

A SEX scandal has shaken the Kremlin as a high-ranking Putin official…
A yacare caiman held by a person wearing black gloves.

Surprise as 3ft Crocodile Seen Swimming in Reservoir at Popular Spanish Vacation Destination

A MASSIVE 3ft crocodile that was spotted swimming in the water sparked…
Knicks fail first test to implement Mike Brown's vision

Knicks Struggle to Implement Mike Brown’s Strategy in Initial Test

LAS VEGAS — Mike Brown didn’t reveal much in his introductory news…
'Freakier Friday': Behind-the-scenes look at Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis on set of the new Disney sequel

‘Freaky Friday’ Sequel: Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes with Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis on the Disney Set

Take an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of “Freakier Friday,” the sequel to the…
President Trump speaking to the press.

Why Donald Trump Won’t Speak at UK Parliament During State Visit, Unlike Macron

DONALD Trump won’t address parliament on his state visit to the UK…
Trump grants ICE ability to arrest protesters who attack agents after California pot farm raid

ICE Empowered to Arrest Protesters Following California Pot Farm Raid

President Trump declared on Friday that he is giving Immigration and Customs…
Mariners' Cal Raleigh hits 37th, 38th homers to move within one of Barry Bonds' pace

Cal Raleigh of the Mariners Slugs 37th and 38th Home Runs, Approaching Barry Bonds’ Record Pace

DETROIT — Cal Raleigh launched his 37th and 38th home runs, closing…