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OK lawmaker calls LGBTQ people ‘filth’ following beating death of bullied nonbinary teen

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OK lawmaker calls LGBTQ people ‘filth’ following beating death of bullied nonbinary teen


An Oklahoma state Senator is facing criticism after he reportedly referred to LGBTQ people “filth” following the unexpected death of a 16-year-old nonbinary student a day after being beaten up at school.

“I represent a constituency that doesn’t want that filth in Oklahoma,” Sen. Tom Woods, R-Westville, can be heard saying during a legislative forum, according to audio recorded by the Tahlequah Daily Press.

Audience member Cathy Cott asked Woods and other lawmakers questions related to Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters’ policy on LGBTQ issues in schools. She also claimed lawmakers have “an obsession with the LGBTQ citizens of Oklahoma.”

Oklahoma state Sen. Tom Woods has come under fire after calling the LBGTQ+ community “filth.” Oklahoma Senate
Woods’ comments come after the death of 16-year-old nonbinary student Nex Benedict following a fight at school. Sue Benedict via AP

Woods answered by saying: “We are a Republican state – supermajority – in the House and Senate. I represent a constituency that doesn’t want that filth in Oklahoma.”

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A smattering of applause can be heard following Woods’ comments.

After the panelists answered only the first part of Cott’s question, she demanded they address “the 50 bills targeting the LGBTQ community in the state of Oklahoma” and pointed to the death of 16-year-old Nex Benedict.

Benedict — who identified as nonbinary, according to family members — died on Feb. 8, a day after getting into a fight that might have been sparked by bullying about their gender identity, their mother said.

Benedict’s official cause of death has not been established. Courtesy Benedict Family
People at a vigil for Benedict in Oklahoma City on Feb. 24, 2024. Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images

The cause of Benedict’s death has not been established, though police said a preliminary report indicated their death was not a result of injuries from the assault.

Woods later said that while his “heart goes out” following the teen’s death.

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‘I cannot stay silent’ Oklahoma City moves to dismiss former attorneys claims seized cash

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‘I cannot stay silent’ Oklahoma City moves to dismiss former attorneys claims seized cash


A legal fight is escalating between former Oklahoma City municipal attorney Orval Jones and the city over how the Oklahoma City Police Department handled cash seized during arrests.

The city has filed a motion asking a judge to strike Jones’ claims, arguing he has no legal standing and calling the criminal-case process a “restitution scheme.”

Jones says he spent eight years “cleaning up” the OKCPD property return process from 2017 to March 2025 until he resigned “due to duress” in September.

He filed an affidavit claiming OKCPD seized more than $400,000 in cash from arrests and deposited it into the city’s bank account.

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In his audit, Jones made lists of seized cash amounts, including amounts under $250, from $250 up to $500, and more than $500.

In its motion, the city argues Jones is no longer an attorney for the city or the district attorney’s office, is not an owner of any of the property “properly disposed of,” and has not suffered an injury.

The city also alleges Jones filed his motion with “half-truths” and without support or proof.

Jones responded in a rebuttal affidavit that the issue involves injury to the state, the county, other counties, crime victims, and property owners who received no notice. Jones said, “I had a professional duty to tell the court that these filings were legally defective and potentially fraudulent. I cannot stay silent.”

In an email in April 2025, OKCPD Chief Ron Bacy said the department had 288,000 overdue property and currency claims needing a disposition update, and that many investigators assigned to those cases are no longer employed with the department. Bacy said the department developed programs to assist the Property Management Unit.

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Court documents show more than 350,000 pieces of property held in the Property Management Unit, more than $2.5 million in the unit’s bank account, and that 80% of the property and money are due for disposition.

If a judge agrees with Jones, the funds may be returned to the owners.

If the judge agrees with the city, the case will be dropped.

The city and OKCPD had not responded to open records requests submitted Feb. 10.

When asked whether the city conducted or requested an internal review into the allegations, the city said it does not comment on pending litigation.

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A hearing has been set later this month.



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Oklahoma AG Drummond backs Trump EPA bid to rescind 2009 greenhouse gas finding

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Oklahoma AG Drummond backs Trump EPA bid to rescind 2009 greenhouse gas finding


Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is seeking to join a federal court fight over the Environmental Protection Agency’s move to roll back a key climate change finding that has underpinned vehicle emissions regulations for more than a decade.

Drummond filed a motion to intervene with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on March 9, 2026, backing the Trump administration’s efforts to eliminate what his office called “radical regulations of carbon emissions.”

The dispute centers on the EPA’s decision to rescind the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding.

In a Final Rule issued earlier this year, the EPA concluded it lacked statutory authority to establish the Endangerment Finding, which had been used to justify vehicle emission restrictions under the Clean Air Act.

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Drummond joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general seeking to support the EPA after “a gaggle of special-interest groups” petitioned the D.C. Circuit to review the Final Rule.

“Thankfully, the Trump Administration is correcting the outrageous overreach that was the hallmark of the Obama-Biden Administration,” Drummond said. “Oklahoma’s energy industry, and that of our nation, should not be hobbled by unnecessary regulations born from a radical climate agenda. A panoply of would-be vehicle emission standards would be disastrous for a robust oil and gas industry, adversely impact our economy, hurt the reliability of our electrical grids and undermine national security.”

Drummond’s office said that since taking office he has filed more than 25 legal actions opposing environmental regulations, including tailpipe emission standards and efforts aimed at eliminating gas-powered vehicles.

In addition to Oklahoma, the states joining the motion to intervene are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.



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Oklahoma adds explosive 4-star commit on offense

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Oklahoma adds explosive 4-star commit on offense


Oklahoma adds explosive 4-star commit on offense appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The 2026 college football season is still months away from kicking off, but coaches are already hitting the College football Recruiting trail for players in the class of 2027. Oklahoma has already landed some talented players.

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Now, they have added another solid player, according to Hayes Fawcett of On3.

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Athlete Greydon Howell, rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals, has committed to Oklahoma. Howell is from Broken Bow, Oklahoma, and chose to go to the Sooners over Oklahoma State, Miami, Penn State, Stanford, and Arkansas. He visited Oklahoma over the weekend, attending a recruiting event.

The 4-star recruit has been a dominant force at his high school in the sports landscape. He plays football, basketball, baseball, and track. This past season, he played quarterback for his team, passing for 2,817 yards with 27 scores, while adding 1,514 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground. He is expected to play wide receiver for the Sooners.

Rivals ranks him as the 13th best athlete in the nation, and 425th overall. Still, other ranking services have him lower. 247Sports has Howell ranked as a three-star player and the 25th best athlete in the nation.

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Regardless, it is another major signing for Brent Venables and the Sooners. They have 19 commitments so far, and have the number one-ranked class for 2027 according to 247Sports. They have been great at keeping in-state guys at Oklahoma. Kaeden Penny is the top player in the state for the class of 2027, and he is going to Oklahoma. Cooper Hackett is ranked third in the state and is also a future Sooner.

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The Sooners open their 2026 campaign on September 5 against Utep.

Oklahoma Sooners land 4-star safety over Florida, Georgia

Oklahoma lands top tight end over Kentucky, Notre Dame



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