Nex Benedict's Family Releases Statement with New Information about Medical Examiner's Findings

[LostOne4Ever]

Nex Benedict’s Family Releases Statement with New Information about Medical Examiner’s Findings

Warns of allowing “incomplete accounts to take hold and spread any further”
By GLAADMarch 15, 2024

The family of Nex Benedict is speaking out about the incomplete and premature medical examiner report released earlier this week, and releasing new information they have learned from the medical examiner “to ensure that other pertinent portions of the report are not overshadowed by the ‘classification’ of Nex’s death.”

In the statement from their attorney, the Benedict family says they felt compelled to release the new information to avoid allowing “incomplete accounts to take hold and spread any further.”

GLAAD is elevating the family’s information and urging reporters to continue to ask more questions about Nex’s death and all that led up to it and after. Below, GLAAD has 16 key questions for reporters to ask about the medical examiner’s report, the history of controversy in the state medical examiner’s office including loss of accreditation, and ongoing questions about school and state leaders’ responsibility in failing to appropriately respond to the assault on Nex, the state-sponsored discrimination by harmful legislation and false rhetoric that remain safety issues for all Oklahoma students, and when or if officials are implementing any new measures to prevent, report and address bullying in Oklahoma schools.

Nex, a 16-year-old 2STGNC+ (Two Spirit, transgender, gender nonconforming+) student of Choctaw descent, died the day after a three-on-one fight in a restroom at Owasso High School in Owasso, Oklahoma last month. Nex had reported to police in the hospital following the attack that they had endured a year of bullying in the school, and that they did not believe the school would do anything to address the bullying. The Owasso police officer that the family, not the school, called to Nex’s emergency room bedside the night before Nex died, discouraged Nex’s family from filing a police report about the assault Nex endured in the school bathroom that afternoon.

[…]

More at link:

https://glaad.org/nex-benedicts-family-releases-statement-with-new-information-about-medical-examiners-findings/

[LostOne4Ever]

1. In addition, GLAAD is releasing 16 Key Questions for reporters covering Nex Benedict's death to ask of state, local and

1. Why is the police department rushing to release premature and incomplete information? As reported before, Owasso police have already rushed to release incomplete information about Nex’s death amid an ongoing investigation, admitting that doing so was not normal practice, and that it was to “head off” national scrutiny.

2. Why did the police not wait to release any information until the full investigation was completed and the full report is out, as already announced, on March 27th?

3. Why has the state medical examiner’s office been operating without accreditation for at least fourteen years?

4. As recently as nine months ago, the Tulsa office reported being significantly behind in cases and understaffed. How are these shortcomings impacting the investigation and rushed premature reports about Nex’s death?

More at link in original post:
https://glaad.org/nex-benedicts-family-releases-statement-with-new-information-about-medical-examiners-findings/

[Think. Again.]

2. For full informational considerations...

...here are the remainder of the questions GLAAD is highlighting for journalists to ask:

5. What other scandals has the medical examiner’s office been implicated in? The Office has faced allegations of misconduct, incorrect death certificates, and more, from families of the deceased to former employees of the office.

6. When have Benadryl and Prozac ever been listed as a lethal combination?

In fresh and original reporting today, Christopher Wiggins of The Advocate spoke to Dr. Joshua King, medical director of the Maryland Poison Center at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, and Dr. Masha Yemets, a clinical toxicology fellow at the same institution, to gain insights into the risks associated with these medications in overdose scenarios.

“‘Without the full autopsy report and associated toxicology data, we couldn’t comment about the medical examiner’s determination,” Yemets cautioned — but they agreed that both of the medications reported to be in Benedict’s system are commonly taken and pose a low risk of dangerous interactions when used correctly. Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine taken for allergies and fluoxetine is used for depression and anxiety.”The medications are “part of a larger group of medications that, in the vast majority of cases, are used safely by millions of people. The risk of death from these medications, especially when used as directed, is extraordinarily low,” King added.

7. How did the medical examiner determine that these two common medications millions of Americans take were not ingested accidentally or improperly administered via medical providers who treated Nex the night before their death?

8. When did the medical examiner or police department review the records and interview medical center personnel from Nex’s visit the night before they died to determine what medications, dosages or other treatments and guidance were prescribed or given and when?

9. Why did the school not call police immediately after the assault in the school bathroom?

10. Where are the formal written protocols and policies that guided this non-response to an assault in which a student was beaten unconscious in a school bathroom?

11. What programs exist to prevent, report and address bullying in Owasso and all Oklahoma public schools? Where are the materials used to inform students and educators about bullying? If such a program exists, when was it created and initiated and by whom; when was the last time staff or students were briefed about bullying, including ways to prevent it, report it, and address it? How are schools familiarizing students and teachers with differences that are commonly targeted by bullies? What is being implemented today to stop bullying from happening again?

12. Have there been other attacks in schools on Indigenous or LGBTQ students? Where do these reports and documentation exist?

13. What correspondence has Owasso public schools had with Superintendent of Public Instruction, Ryan Walters, about Nex’s death and next steps to prevent any more bullying or deaths of Owasso students?

14. When will Owasso and all public schools in Oklahoma update its bathroom policies and protocols to ensure all students, including Two Spirit, Transgender and Gender Nonconforming (2STGNC+) can simply use the bathroom they feel safest in?

15. Why does Superintendent Walters continue to deny the existence of transgender and gender nonconforming people, in a state whose Indigenous history and culture has long respected and honored Two Spirit people and expanded definitions of gender and gender expression? How does Superintendent Walters think his inaccurate statements and beliefs such as “there are only two genders” impact people of other faiths and Indigenous backgrounds who know and respect that transgender people and youth exist, attend Oklahoma public schools, and as taxpayers, pay Walters’ salary to represent and protect their families and children?

16. What other cases of the deaths of Indigenous and 2STGNC+ people has the medical examiner and police department handled? How do their families feel about state officials and department credibility and competency?

[LostOne4Ever]

3. Thank you

I was worried I’d be pushing the rules if I posted them all!

[Think. Again.]

5. I thought about that but I'll take any consequences, this is important.

And Thank YOU for the OP.

[mopinko]

8. a press release has no copyright.

it’s always ok to post the full text of a press release.

[J_William_Ryan]

4. "...the state-sponsored discrimination by harmful legislation and false rhetoric..."

…along with a Republican agenda hostile to gay, transgender, and gender nonconforming Americans with the intent of silencing and marginalizing them with threats of violence, rendering them vulnerable, invisible, and non-existent.

[yorkster]

6. This story is enough to make you cry..

Very important that this statement was released.

[niyad]

7. The (2STGNC+) designation is one I had not seen before.

I knew from what was covered about the "medical examiner"s" (an office not accredited for FOURTEEN YEARS.?? Are yiu F'n KIDDING ME???) report, that: a:. .it was bs, and, b: it had to be done by an independent official.

That poor young person, and their family. My heart aches for them all.

[Goddessartist]

9. My heart

goes out to this family. How horrific and so wrong.

This is the creation of Republicans' hateful rhetoric and policies.

Heart breaking.