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Ryan Walters, the superintendent of Oklahoma's public schools has criticised "radical leftists" for taking advantage of the death of 16-year-old Nex Benedict, a nonbinary student. Walters further said that he doesn't think anyone is truly transgender or nonbinary.
Walters recently took a stand after numerous people on the internet insisted that Benedict's death had nothing to do with the fight that had taken place in the school's lavatory the day before. However, Benedict's death did not seem to be connected to the fight.
In his initial interview after Benedict's passing, Walters stated to The New York Times,
“I think it’s terrible that we’ve had some radical leftists who decided to run with a political agenda and try to weave a narrative that hasn’t been true.”
According to the same source, he further said that he did not believe that nonbinary or transgender people exist, adding that the state would only permit pupils to use names or pronouns that corresponded to their birth certificates.
However, once Walters’ video went viral on X, netizens took to the platform to express their opinion regarding the entire thing.
Netizens bash Oklahoma school superintendent Ryan Walters for his comment on Nex Benedict’s death
The outcry regarding the death of 16-year-old Nex Benedict was attributed to "radical leftists" by school superintendent Ryan Walters.
According to the student's distraught mother, Benedict passed away the day after engaging in a restroom altercation. The fight may have been started by bullying them for their gender identity.
The kid who was non-binary, according to Benedict's family, was harassed for months since the state mandated that students could only use the restrooms designated for their biological gender.
On the other hand, Walters, a Republican, has been a prominent opponent of LGBTQ+ rights in the state. He talked candidly about Benedict's story during his interview with the Times.
As per The Advocate, Walters acknowledged that Benedict's passing was unfortunate. He further added,
“You always treat individuals with dignity or respect, because they’re made in God’s image. But that doesn’t change truth.”
Walters then told the New York Times,
“There’s not multiple genders. There’s two. That’s how God created us.”
He also said,
“You’ve taken a tragedy, and you’ve had some folks try to exploit it for political gain.”
Meanwhile, once the video of Ryan Walters was uploaded on X, it immediately went viral. Netizens then took to X to criticize Walters and express their opinion on the matter.
On February 7, 2024, Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old American non-binary student, passed away during an incident at their high school. After experiencing bullying at school in the past, Benedict reported to authorities that three younger girls had beaten them in the girls' lavatory at Owasso High School in Owasso, Oklahoma.
As per ABC News, the Owasso Police Department released preliminary information from the medical examiner's office stating that Benedict "did not die as a result of trauma." The cause of death was listed as "currently pending." However, Benedict's family has started a separate inquiry into the kid's passing.
