A 10-year-old Indiana boy killed himself after being bullied relentlessly at school, according to his family — who claim to have raised the alarm at least 20 times in the last year.
Sammy Teusch, a fourth grader at Greenfield Intermediate School, was bullied right up until the night he died by suicide on May 5, according to his family.
“I held him in my arms,” his dad, Sam Teusch, told WTHR. “I did the thing no father should ever have to do, and anytime I close my eyes, it’s all I can see.”
Sammy’s parents, Sam and Nichole, said that they complained to the school roughly 20 times about the bullying that started last year when he was in elementary school.
“They were making fun of him for his glasses in the beginning, then on to make fun of his teeth. It went on for a long time,” his dad said.
“He was beat up on the school bus, and the kids broke his glasses and everything,” he said.
“I called the school, and I’m like, ‘What are you doing about this? It keeps getting worse, and worse, and worse,’” the dad claimed.
The school district’s superintendent, Dr. Harold Olin, declined to be interviewed, WTHR said.
However, he claimed that no bullying complaints were filed by the boy or his parents.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
