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Deceased teenager Nex Benedict

Photo: Sue Benedict / AP

The death of Nex Benedict made international headlines because Nex Benedict defined himself as non-binary and had recently been involved in a beating attack with fellow students. Friends and family members said the 16-year-old had been a victim of bullying for a long time. A medical examiner ruled the death a suicide a week ago.

The responsible district attorney, Steve Kunzweiler, has now announced that he will not file charges in the case. The death of Nex Benedict was “a tragedy,” but no crime was committed.

In a 911 call, Sue Benedict, the teen's grandmother and guardian, expressed concern about a head injury Nex Benedict sustained from a fight at school.

Police later released video from the body camera of an officer who interviewed Nex Benedict at the hospital on the day of the altercation. In the video, Nex talks about throwing water on students who had previously made fun of Nex. Then there was a scuffle.

District Attorney Kunzweiler said that “according to all available evidence, this fight was a fair fight” between two groups of students. This lasted less than a minute.

After the medical examiner's public statement, Benedict's family tried to prove the seriousness of the attack: According to this, the 16-year-old had bruises and lacerations on his face and head, injuries on the back of his left hand and abrasions on his chest, which, according to the medical examiner, were caused by resuscitation attempts.

The lawyer for Benedict's family said he did not expect the family to comment on the prosecutor's decision Thursday. However, in a statement last week, the family called on schools, teachers and lawmakers to take up the fight against bullying and "create a school environment built on the pillars of respect, inclusion and grace."

US President Joe Biden and his wife are also following the case. The day after Nex Benedict's death was ruled a suicide, they issued a statement saying, "Nex Benedict, a child who simply wanted to be accepted, should still be with us today."

vet/Reuters/AP