As we reported earlier, an early autopsy report says that a 16-year-old student in Oklahoma who was involved in a fight in a school bathroom did not die from trauma. The story blew up because "Nex" Benedict had reportedly been bullied for identifying as transgender. The Independent ran the story under the headline, "Oklahoma banned trans students from bathrooms. Now a bullied student is dead after a fight." They managed to work in a connection to "anti-trans social media influencer" Chaya Raichik of Libs of TikTok and run her photo along with the piece. Why? Because a teacher at the high school had resigned after Libs of TikTok reposted one of his videos in 2022, a teacher "who Nex had greatly admired."
Even The Independent's own story mentions the autopsy:
Owasso police issued a subsequent statement on 21 February to say that an autopsy indicated that Nex had not died as a result of trauma.
“While the investigation continues into the altercation, preliminary information from the medical examiner’s office is that a complete autopsy was performed and indicated that the decedent did not die as a result of trauma,” police said.
The Benedict family later released a statement through their lawyers saying they would conduct an independent investigation into Nex’s death.
As you know, activist journalists write their stories first and then, as an act of journalism, inform the person that they're doing a hit piece and would they like to comment.
Raichik says she got such an email from the Washington Post's Taylor Lorenz, who had previously doxxed Raichik.
Taylor writes in her email:
"We also note that young people and LGBTQ people in the area say they live in fear of being targeted by your account," concluding "Sources in our story accuse you of monetizing anti LGBTQ hate and say that your behavior shows you do not have an interest in protecting children. Would you like to offer any comment on this piece?"
Raichik's response? "I can't hear you over your mask." (Lorenz says she's disabled and severely immunocompromised and wishes people had the courtesy to wear masks.)
So Lorenz is working on a piece blaming Raichik somehow for the teen's death, because she reposted a video.
The answer should always be, "Go pound sand."
— Planet Of Memes (@PlanetOfMemes) February 21, 2024
The gift that keeps on giving pic.twitter.com/Amv0qLpvGK
— jrdy (@tfd_jrdy) February 21, 2024
(That's a photo of Lorenz going to the home of a relative of Raichik for her earlier hit piece.)
They twist so much I’m surprised their narrative hasn’t ripped.
— Joshua Walker (@RedsRepair95) February 21, 2024
How passive aggressive 🤣
Taylor Lorenz is going to absolutely rule the coffee shop barrista field after this is over. All while screaming she is 29.
— John Martinlives (@JohnMar05239136) February 21, 2024
Worst "journalist" in America. Surprised she hasn't been swept up in the layoffs.
— Unbound Monkey (@UnboundMonkey) February 21, 2024
"Hi, I'm Taylor. You might remember me from such classics as 'That One Time I Doxxed You' and 'Knock, Knock, Knockin' on Your Family's Door.'"
— Anti-Communist History (@AntiComHistory) February 21, 2024
Tell her how you are going to sue all those who defamed you into the Stone Age.
— Clayton J Baker MD (@cjbakermd) February 21, 2024
Would she like to join them on that journey?
I would say Taylor Lorenz is the worst, but it is so hard to choose these days.
— Social distancing champ (@LadyGriz) February 22, 2024
Remember, when being asked to comment, make sure you write something that they have to use instead of the reporter saying you refused to comment. #ModernJournalism
— Tom Royce (@TomRoyce) February 21, 2024
They found their next martyr, Trans Floyd™️ just dropped. This will get worse before it ever gets better.
— Rev. Terfy McTerface (@RevTerfy) February 22, 2024
Should the media be held accountable for the potential harm caused by their framing of individuals as dangerous terrorists, even if it increases engagement and readership?
— Fairly Impartial (@The_Most_True) February 21, 2024
Sure sounds like Taylor has her hit piece already written.
— Fake News Filter (@Jdanker22) February 22, 2024
The outreach is just so you can't accuse her of not doing so.
Exactly. Lorenz can say she attempted to make the piece fair and balanced by giving Raichik the opportunity to comment.
How Taylor doesn’t pull every muscle in her body when she writes about you with all the context stretching she does, I don’t know.
— Rideshare L’s (@UberBlacked) February 21, 2024
“Sources” aka people who share their opinion
— Lord (@the_lort_god) February 21, 2024
"Absolutely. Feel free to write whatever you want. I'll add you to the list of companies I'm suing for defamation of character. Have a nice day."
— SKAh (@SKAhsom) February 21, 2024
The narrative is that the anti-trans environment in Oklahoma is to blame for the teen's death. The story's already written. She was beaten to death by bullies incited by posts from Libs of TikTok because she was nonbinary.
Maybe hold off on publishing that story until the toxicology reports come back, seeing as we don't know the cause of death yet, except that it wasn't trauma.
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