The New York Times Implausibly Implicates Oklahoma’s Bathroom Law in the Death of a Nonbinary Student

Published

1 year ago

February 23, 2024

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Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old Oklahoma student who identified as nonbinary and preferred they/them pronouns, died on February 8, a day after a fight at Owasso High School. It is unclear whether the injuries that Nex suffered in the fight contributed to their death. But in a story published on Wednesday, The New York Timesimplicitly blames the altercation on an Oklahoma law that requires students to use restrooms that correspond with the sex “identified on the individual’s original birth certificate.” Details that the Times omitted cast doubt on that framing, which The Independent also pushed in a story headlined “Oklahoma Banned Trans Students From Bathrooms. Now a Bullied Student Is Dead After a Fight.”

Nex, whose given name was Dagny, was biologically female, and the fight happened in a girls’ bathroom, where Nex and another student reportedly were assaulted by “three older female students.” Although Nex apparently was bullied for identifying as nonbinary, it looks like the location of the fight was incidental.

That is not the impression left by the Times story. “Anti-Trans Policies Draw Scrutiny After 16-Year-Old’s Death in Oklahoma,” says the headline. The subhead adds that “the student, who did not identify as male or female, according to their family, died a day after an altercation in a school bathroom.” The story is illustrated by a photo of transgender rights activists during a 2023 demonstration at the Oklahoma Capitol. “Under state law,” the caption notes, “students must use the bathroom that aligns with their birth gender” (which Nex was doing).

The second paragraph reiterates that detail: “Under an Oklahoma law passed in 2022, students must use the bathrooms that align with their birth gender.” The next paragraph notes that the fight happened “in a girls’ bathroom at Owasso High School.” Reporters J. David Goodman and Edgar Sandoval return to the subject of state policy later in the story: The death renewed scrutiny of anti-transgender laws passed in the state and rhetoric by Oklahoma officials, including the state superintendent for education, Ryan Walters, whose agency has been forceful in trying to bar what it calls “radical gender theory” in schools.

“It’s dangerous,” Mr. Walters said in avideo made by the agency last year.”It puts our girls in jeopardy.”

The video highlighted a fight in a bathroom the previous year in which,according to a lawsuit, a female student was “severely” injured in a fight with a transgender student.

Advocates for nonbinary and transgender students said that the state’s policy on gender and bathrooms had led to more reports of confrontations in schools.

“That policy and the messaging around it has led to a lot more policing of bathrooms by students,” said Nicole McAfee, the executive director of Freedom Oklahoma, which advocates for transgender and gay rights. Students who do not present themselves as obviously male or female find themselves questioned by other students, they said. “There is a sense of, ‘do you belong in here?'”

The cause of Nex’s death remains unclear. The New York Post reports that Sue Benedict, Nex’s mother, said Nex fell and hit their head during the bathroom fight. The Post also quotes the mother of the other victim, who reported seeing the assailants “beating her head across the floor.” But according to a statement that the Owasso Police Department posted on Facebook yesterday, preliminary autopsy findings indicate that Nex “did not die as a result of trauma.” The statement adds that “toxicology results and other ancillary testing results” are still pending and “the official autopsy report will be available at a later date.”

Nex was examined at Bailey Medical Center the day of the fight and released that night. After coming home, Sue Benedict told the Times, Nex “complained of a sore head.” The next day, “Nex collapsed at home and was rushed to the hospital.” In an interview with KWGS, the NPR station in Tulsa, on Tuesday, Benedict complained that “school staff didn’t call an ambulance” and that “medical professionals performed a cursory exam before discharging Nex.” But Benedict also said “she is not certain yet how much [the] altercation contributed to Nex’s death.”

Whatever the cause of death, the case raises troubling questions about the response to the fight. “Students were in the restroom for less than two minutes and the physical altercation was broken up by other students who were present in the restroom at the time, along with a staff member who was supervising outside of the restroom,” the Owasso Public Schools (OPS) said in a statement issued on Tuesday. “Once the altercation was broken up, all students involved in the altercation walked under their own power to the assistant principal’s office and nurse’s office.”

What happened next? “Physical altercations between students are unacceptable,” OPS said. “Any student/s engaging in such action, jeopardizing the safety of others, will receive disciplinary consequences. These consequences can include out-of-school suspension for a first offense. Due to federal privacy laws, we are unable to disclose the exact nature of disciplinary action taken against any student.” But Sue Benedict told The Independent that school officials “informed her Nex was being suspended for two weeks.”

Under “district protocols,” OPS said, “the parents/guardians of students involved in a physical altercation are notified and informed of the option to file a police report should they choose. Should they choose to file a police report, school resource officers are made available to the parents/guardians either at that time or they can schedule an appointment, if they choose, at a later date. These practices were followed during this incident.”

The afternoon of the fight, police say, “an Owasso School Resource Officer was assigned to respond to Bailey Medical Center where Nex Benedict was being examined. The School Resource Officer interviewed Nex and their parent concerning the altercation at the Owasso High School. The following morning, the School Resource Officer followed up with the parent.” That same day, “Owasso Fire Department medics were dispatched to a medical emergency involving Nex Benedict, who was transported to the St. Francis Pediatric Emergency Room where they later died.”

Police said they were “conducting a very active and thorough investigation of the time and events that led up to the death of the student.”As of Tuesday, the Post says, “it remained unclear” whether Nex’s assailants “would face charges.”

More generally, the incident raises questions about Owasso High School’s response to bullying. An OPS spokesman told the Times that “students who identified as transgender or nonbinary would be treated ‘with dignity and respect, just like all students.'” But Sue Benedict said Nex had been repeatedly harassed by other students at school. “The Benedicts know all too well the devastating effects of bullying and school violence,” the family said in a statement, “and pray for meaningful change wherein bullying is taken seriously and no family has to deal with another preventable tragedy.”

Did Oklahoma’s policies encourage such violence? Goodman and Sandoval clearly think so. “In addition to the bathroom law,” they note, “Oklahoma passed a ban on gender-transition care for minors last year. And in 2022, the state was among the first in the nation to explicitly prohibit residents from using gender neutral markers on their birth certificates.” They also think it is relevant to note that “the state education agency” recently appointed “Chaya Raichik, who runs Libs of TikTok, an account on X that has posted anti-gay and anti-transgender content, to serve on the agency’s Library Media Advisory Committee, which reviews the appropriateness of school library content.”

The implication is that state policies are reinforcing the intolerance from which Nex suffered. Maybe. But anyone who has attended high school can testify that teenagers do not need official encouragement to pick on kids they see as different. And in this case, the bathroom law that theTimes repeatedly highlights seems lke a red herring.

UK

England star Jess Carter targeted by racist abuse during Euros

Published

1 hour ago

July 20, 2025

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England star Jess Carter targeted by racist abuse during Euros

England star Jess Carter says she has been the victim of racist abuse online during the UEFA Women’s Euros in Switzerland.

The Lionesses defender, who has 49 England caps, said she will be “taking a step back from social media and leaving it to a team to deal with”.

In an Instagram post, the 27-year-old player said: “From the start of the tournament, I have experienced a lot of racial abuse. Whilst I feel every fan is entitled to their opinion on performance and result, I don’t agree or think it’s ok to target someone’s appearance or race.”

Carter said she was stepping back from social media to “protect myself in a bid to keep my focus on helping the team anyway I can”.

She added: “Hopefully speaking out will make the people writing this abuse think twice so that others won’t have to deal with it.”

Carter also said that England have made some “historic changes with the Lionesses squad” that she was “so proud” of, and she hopes that by speaking out about racial abuse “it will make another positive change for all”.

‘Abhorrent abuse’

The Football Association leadership has condemned the “abhorrent abuse” against Carter and has contacted UK police about it.

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said in a statement: “Our priority is Jess and giving her all the support she needs. We strongly condemn those responsible for this disgusting racism.

“As soon as we were made aware of the racist abuse Jess received, we immediately contacted UK police. They are in touch with the relevant social media platform, and we are working with police to ensure those responsible for this hate crime are brought to justice.”

The Lionesses said in a statement: “We stand with Jess and all Lionesses players past and present who have suffered racism.

“No one should have to endure such vile abuse, be that in football or any walk of life.”

They added: “Those behind this online poison must be held accountable.”

Anger and sadness

England teammate Lucy Bronze said there was “anger” and “sadness” among the squad following the abuse.

Bronze said: “I think we all know that any player of colour that’s played for England has probably gone through racist abuse. That’s a sad fact.”

She told Sky News’ sports correspondent Rob Harris that social media platforms need to be held more accountable.

Bronze added: “People need to be held accountable for their actions, whether it’s in-person or online. The abuse is not okay. Racism is not okay.”

The prime minister said on X that there was “no place for racism in football or anywhere in society”.

Sir Keir Starmer added: “I stand with Jess, the Lionesses, and any players who have suffered racism, on and off the pitch.”

Carter has started all four of England’s games at the tournament.

The defending champions face Italy on Tuesday night in Geneva in the Euros semi-finals. If they win and reach the final, they will play either Germany or Spain, who face each other on Wednesday.

The Lionesses also said that until now, they have chosen to take the knee before matches.

“It is clear we and football need to find another way to tackle racism,” they said.

England won’t be taking the knee before semi-final

The Lionesses said they have agreed as a squad to remain standing before kick-off in the match against Italy.

“We hope the game can come together to see what more can be done.”

Kneeling, a symbolic anti-racism gesture, came to prominence in 2016 when NFL player Colin Kaepernick knelt in protest during the United States national anthem and became more widespread during the Black Lives Matter movement.

UK

Social media firms have gone backwards in tackling online hate, says Kick It Out chairman

Published

1 hour ago

July 20, 2025

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Social media firms have gone backwards in tackling online hate, says Kick It Out chairman

As head of football’s anti-racism body, there was dread for Sanjay Bhandari watching England’s Women’s Euros quarter-final with Sweden.

But that’s, grimly, how it always is. Concerned that black players will be singled out for blame. Not with a legitimate critique of their performances, but with toxicity and racism.

And now Kick It Out is working with the Football Association to support Jess Carter after the England defender spoke out over the abuse she has been targeted with throughout the Women’s European Championship.

The players want social media firms to do more, but Mr Bhandari, the Kick It Out chairman, is concerned by their limited approach to the scourge of online hate.

“The social media companies need to do far more,” he told Sky News. “They’ve actually gone backwards over the last four or five years, not forwards. It’s got worse on social media, not better.

“And they need to provide us with the tools to help keep us safe and to remove some of this toxicity from the platforms. They’re just not doing enough.

“I would say that X is the worst. It has become no-holds-barred.

“And with Instagram, it is much more in the direct messaging, and I think there needs to be much more done there to protect people from those messages.”

Meta, which owns Instagram, did not reply to a request for comment.

There was no response from an email sent to X’s press email address.

LinkedIn indicated that X’s UK managing director Jonathan Lewis’s account had seen a request for comment, but there was no response.

On Friday, Mr Lewis and Premier League club Burnley were celebrating a new partnership in an announcement that made no mention of the abuse that many players across the world face on X.

The hope is that the Online Safety Act will lead to social media firms implementing the safety tools required of them.

Mr Bhandari said: “They have to be enforced by law enforcement against individual perpetrators, and also the regulatory parts need to be forced against the social media companies to force them to do the things that they need to do.”

Grimly familiar situation

The FA reported the abuse suffered by Carter to police, and the hope is for speedy action because this is a grimly familiar situation.

After the men’s Euros final in 2021, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were racially abused after missing penalties in the shootout defeat to Italy.

While players have been taking a knee against racism in men’s and women’s games, the Lionesses feel that is no longer enough at these Euros.

They will stand instead before the semi-final with Italy because they say a new approach is needed to tackle racism.

Carter didn’t just face racism around the quarter-final that England won on penalties after fighting back from 2-0 down against Sweden here in Zurich.

She has been subjected to abuse throughout the Euros.

“I’m really feeling for Jess and what’s sad is that this is shocking, but not surprising,” Mr Bhandari said.

“I watch every England game, at every tournament, with the fear that after the match, there’s going to be abuse of a black player using the spurious basis of performance as an excuse to justify unjustifiable racism. All racism is unjustifiable.

“The fact that someone’s had a good or bad game in your opinion does not justify that kind of racist abuse.”

Environment

These cars are losing value fast — that’s GREAT news for used EV buyers!

Published

3 hours ago

July 20, 2025

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These cars are losing value fast — that's GREAT news for used EV buyers!

These Cars Are Losing Value So Fast It’s Almost Impressive — 2023 EQS, via Mercedes-Benz.

New car buyers like to talk about the latest tech and resale value, but most people don’t buy new cars. The used car market is 3x bigger than new, and if you’re content to let the last guy take that big depreciation hit by scoring a great deal on a reliable, low-mile used car you could save thousands on your next EV.

I know what you’re thinking: these posts are always weird because they’re disproportionally impacted by the COVID-era supply chain disruptions, and the obscene dealer mark-ups that came along with them.

But looking into the data shows trends that are much closer to the kind of think you’d expect to see before COVID, with high-end luxury models like S-Class Mercedes that trade on being new and shiny taking massive depreciation hits and more mainstream offerings from brands like Toyota and Honda that trade on economy and reliability holding strong.

That usual luxury brand hit seems like it’s being compounded over at Tesla, where Elon Musk’s highly publicized political leanings have polarized support for the brand, and alienated a huge portion of the market. Demand for new and used Tesla vehicles has plummeted, and iSeeCars reports that the Tesla Model S suffered the biggest percentage price drop of all makes and models over the last twelve months, showing the pioneering electric sedan’s average price in June 2025 at $46,700, nearly 16%, or $8,800 lower than it was 12 just months earlier.

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This isn’t a post about Tesla, though (not intentionally, at least). Instead, it’s about those EVs that have lost the most value since they were first sold new five-ish years ago. So, if you’re looking for a great deal on a pre-loved EV, you could do a lot worse than the list, below, presented in order from biggest “loss” of value.

Top 10 fastest-depreciating EVs

	Make & Model	MSRP	Avg. 5 yrs	>Difference	% Change
1	Audi Q8 e-tron	$74,400	$20,958	-$53,442	-71.9%
2	Jaguar I-Pace	$72,000	$20,047	-$51,953	-72.2%
3	Tesla Model S	$74,990	$27,835	-$47,155	-62.9%
4	Nissan Leaf (SV Plus)	$36,190	$13,000	-$23,190	-64.1%
5	Tesla Model X	$79,990	$32,940	-$47,050	-58.8%
6	Mercedes EQS	$104,400	$41,121	-$63,279	-60.6%
7	Tesla Model Y	$44,990	$23,775	-$21,215	-47.2%
8	Hyundai Kona Electric	$32,675	$13,860	-$18,815	-57.6%
9	Tesla Model 3	$38,990	$20,950	-$18,040	-46.3%
10	Porsche Taycan	$99,400	$48,445	-$50,955	-51.3%
11	Ford Mustang Mach-E	$39,995	$21,600	-$18,395	-46.0%

Disclaimer: the models and pricing shown, above, were sourced from CarsDirect, Carscoops, iSeeCars, USNews, and Yahoo!Finance. These deals may not be available in every market, and the standard “with approved credit” fine print should be considered implied. Check with your local dealer(s) for more information.

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