Equality Caucus Applauds Education Department for Holding Nex Benedict’s School Accountable for Title IX Violations

WASHINGTON, DC — Following the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announcement that they had reached a resolution in their Title IX Sexual Harassment Investigation of Owasso Public Schools in Oklahoma, Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, released the following statement:

“Today’s announcement confirms that the Owasso Public Schools in Oklahoma failed to follow the law and protect their students, especially those in the LGBTQI+ community,” said Rep. Mark Pocan, Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus. “Nothing can undo the damage that’s already happened in Owasso, including the tragic death of Nex Benedict, but this agreement is an important step towards preventing future Title IX violations and working to protect the right of every student—including trans and nonbinary students—to receive an education free from harassment, discrimination, and violence.”

BACKGROUND
On November 13, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced they had entered into an agreement to remedy the Owasso, Oklahoma School District’s violations of Title IX. The complaint was filed with OCR by the Human Rights Campaign following the tragic death of Nex Benedict, a young student who died by suicide on February 8, 2024, one day after being attacked & knocked unconscious in a school bathroom after enduring more than a year of anti-trans bullying and harassment that went unchecked by their school.