Family of Nex Benedict files federal lawsuit against Owasso Public Schools

Sue Benedict, the mother of Nex Benedict, has filed a federal lawsuit against Owasso Public Schools.

Benedict died by suicide in 2024, the day after getting into a fight in the school bathroom.

Sue Benedict accuses the school of a violation of rights and is suing for wrongful death. The lawsuit accuses Owasso Public Schools of ignoring bullying and sexual harassment claims involving Nex Benedict, and it says those actions directly caused Benedict's death.

Lawsuit’s Timeline of Alleged Abuse

The lawsuit provides a timeline of abuse Benedict’s mother claims occurred in Owasso Schools. It says the abuse started when Benedict was in eighth grade and began to express a different gender identity.

The lawsuit states Benedict faced verbal abuse, physical assault, and cyberbullying. It also claims the bullying was obvious to Owasso school employees, and Benedict reported it. The suit says the district didn’t take action to stop it.

The lawsuit says Benedict briefly left the school district and returned about a year later. Benedict’s mother met with district leaders, but the lawsuit says the abuse continued into Benedict’s sophomore year and happened in front of employees.

The lawsuit claims Benedict’s mother made three separate reports in the fall of 2023. Benedict was placed in in-school suspension with three other students in February 2024, and the lawsuit says Benedict was bullied by those students.

The suit says Benedict went to the bathroom on Feb. 7, and police say Benedict threw water on the other students. The lawsuit claims the other students then beat Benedict unconscious. Benedict was hospitalized and released the same day, and the next day, Benedict died by suicide.

The lawsuit claims the district failed to conduct a proper investigation and did not offer supportive services to students. However, a News On 6 report in February 2024 indicated that Owasso Schools did offer counseling services to students.

The lawsuit states the Office for Civil Rights conducted its own investigation, which revealed 60 online bullying reports over the past three years, 15 of which were related to Nex.

News On 6 reached out to Sue Benedict and her attorney, Jacob Biby, for a comment but have not heard back.

Owasso Public Schools Response

Owasso Public Schools sent us a statement saying, "The district has not received notice of a lawsuit having been filed regarding Nex Benedict. It would be inappropriate to comment until receiving formal notice of the filing."

More coverage on Nex Benedict can be found here.