The death of a nonbinary high school student that was used by liberals to bash Republican policies has been ruled a suicide by a medical examiner.
16-year-old Dagny Benedict got into an altercation with other students in a bathroom at the Owasso High School on Feb. 7. The next day, Benedict was found dead, and many in the media rushed to blame Republican policies concerning transgender students in Oklahoma.
“Nex Benedict’s death from a brutal assault in their high school bathroom is outrageous and heartbreaking. The anti-trans fervor fueled by extreme Republicans across the country is having deadly consequences for our children,” said former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on social media. “We must stand up against anti-trans hate.”
Police previously said that Benedict did not die as a result of any trauma, but many on the left continued to blame Republicans.
On Wednesday, that narrative collapsed after a report from the chief medical examiner in Oklahoma found that Benedict died from suicide. The report said that Benedict overdosed from diphenhydramine, an antihistamine, and fluoxetine, an antidepressant. A full report will be released on March 27.
The Owasso Police Department released a statement about the report.
“From the beginning of this investigation, Owasso Police observed many indications that this death was the result of suicide. However, investigators did not wish to confirm that information without the final results being presented by the Oklahoma Medical Examiners Office,” read the statement.
“The Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s report has now been made public,” the department added.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond also responded.
“My heart is broken over the tragic death of Nex Benedict,” Drummond said. “The Medical Examiner’s finding of suicide makes me even more concerned that bullying played a role in this terrible loss.”
Benedict was released from the hospital to return home after the fight. The next day, the teen’s mother, Sue Benedict, called police about her child. Benedict was transported to a hospital where physicians declared the teenager dead.
Police also previously released body camera footage showing Benedict admitting that the teen had tossed water on the three female students who beat her up.
Protesters and LGBTQ+ activists disrupted a meeting of the Owasso School Board and jeered the members.
Here’s more about the finding:
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!