Officials offer more details about events at Owasso High School a day before student's death
Authorities disclosed more information Tuesday about the death of an Owasso High School student, attempting to dispel rumors circulating online. Many questions still remain unanswered, though, including what killed the 16-year-old.
The teen died Feb. 8, one day after sustaining injuries in a fight on school grounds. The teen’s official cause of death has not yet been disclosed by the state medical examiner.
No public agency has released the student’s name, though on Tuesday afternoon, the family shared an update to their verified GoFundMe post identifying the teen as Nex Benedict.
More: Family identifies Nex Benedict as nonbinary Oklahoma teen who died after bathroom beating
The case has generated widespread attention, in part because of claims that school employees failed to immediately act after the fight.
District officials had been tight-lipped about what happened. But in a statement issued Tuesday, spokesman Jordan Korphage pushed back against “statements that call into question the district’s commitment to student safety and security.”
Korphage said a fight happened in a school bathroom on the afternoon of Feb. 7. He said the students were in the bathroom for less than two minutes before other students and a school employee broke up the fight.
He said a nurse checked on all students and recommended one teen seek further medical attention “out of the abundance of caution.” Korphage disputed claims that the teen who later died was unable to walk immediately after the fight.
More: Police investigating death of Owasso student who died the day after school bathroom beating
“All students involved in the altercation walked under their own power to the assistant principal’s office and nurse’s office,” he said.
He declined to say how many students were involved. He also said he could not say whether any students were disciplined afterward, citing privacy laws.
Next steps: Owasso police may involve FBI in investigation
Owasso police said they plan to spend the next several days interviewing students and teachers, then turn over their findings to the Tulsa County district attorney’s office.
Officers also may bring in other agencies, such as the FBI, if they determine a major crime occurred, said Lt. Nick Boatman, a spokesman for Owasso Police.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office based in Tulsa said she could not confirm nor deny whether the office was involved in the case.
Boatman said investigators are still waiting for initial autopsy results before deciding whether to recommend charges be filed in the case. The state medical examiner’s office said its full investigation into the student’s death could take four to six months.
Editor's note: This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Details emerge about fight before Owasso High School student's death
