11.19.2024
Media

Know Your IX Applauds Department of Education’s Resolution of Nex Benedict Title IX Case

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced that they had reached a resolution in their Title IX Sexual Harassment Investigation of Owasso Public Schools in Oklahoma following the tragic death of Nex Benedict, a young student who died by suicide on February 8, 2024, after enduring more than a year of anti-trans bullying and harassment.

In response, Emma Grasso Levine, Senior Manager of Title IX Policy and Programs at Know Your IX (a survivor- and youth-led project of Advocates for Youth), issued the following statement:

“The Department of Education’s announcement sends an important message to schools across the country that they must abide by Title IX. Every young person deserves to feel safe and supported at school, and to pursue an education without fear of gender-based harassment or discrimination.

Nex Benedict should be alive today. While this announcement is a move toward justice for survivors of violence and abuse, many young people remain at risk. Elected officials must stop playing political games with students’ lives and adopt the Biden Administration’s updated Title IX guidance. Students’ lives are at stake.”

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Advocates for Youth is a 501(c)3 organization that champions efforts that help young people make informed decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates for Youth boldly advocates for a more positive and realistic approach to adolescent sexual health, focusing its work on young people ages 14-24 in the U.S. and around the globe. 

 

For Immediate Release: November 15, 2024

Contact: Eleanor Naiman, eleanor.naiman@advocatesforyouth.org