An Oklahoma teen died earlier this month after she and another student were severely beaten inside a school bathroom, according to reports. Dagny Benedict, a 16-year-old sophomore, was involved in a fight at Owasso High School in suburban Tulsa on February 7, as reported by 2 News.
The altercation, in which Benedict, a straight-A student, and a classmate were reportedly assaulted for an extended period, was ultimately intervened by a school staffer. The incident involved three older female students. While the family's obituary used female pronouns, Sue Benedict, the mother, told The Independent that the teenager identified as non-binary and used the name "Nex."
Killed for Being Non-Binary
The grieving parent said that the other victim in the incident was also non-binary. The mother said that Benedict had frequently been bullied at school and, during the bathroom altercation, had fallen and hit her head. As a result of the attack, Benedict sustained bruising and cuts across her face.
"I didn't know how bad it had gotten," her mom told the outlet.
2 News quoted the parent of the other victim, who said that her daughter witnessed Benedict being attacked, with the assailants "beating her head across the floor." Benedict was reportedly unable to reach the nurse's office because of the injuries she sustained.
The parent of the witness claimed that the school staff did not call the police or an ambulance. Benedict's shocked relatives called the police from the school and told them about the incident and then took the injured teen to the hospital.
Although Benedict was released from the hospital on the same day, she was readmitted on February 8 and died on the same day.
Sue Benedict told The Independent that her child collapsed at home on the way to an appointment on the day of her death.
Complete Injustice
Local police said that they are still determining the cause of death. However, the mother of Benedict's friend believes that the teenager suffered severe trauma during the fight. "I think complications from brain trauma, head trauma, is what caused it," the mother of the other victim told 2 News.
The cause of the confrontation is still under investigation.
Police said they are awaiting toxicology reports to determine if there was any other possible underlying medical condition that might have contributed to Benedict's tragic death.
The Owasso Public School District has chosen not to comment on the case, citing the ongoing investigation.
As of Tuesday, it remained unclear whether Benedict's attackers would face charges. "She was tough, but a great kid," her mother said at her funeral service last week according to the outlet. "I loved Dagny so much."
The grieving parent said that Benedict was a fan of games like Minecraft, had a love for animals, and enjoyed cooking. A GoFundMe account, set up by a friend of the victim's mother, had raised nearly $28,000 in donations as of Tuesday.
