10-year-old boy dies by suicide after being bullied at Indiana school, family says

Publish date: 2024-07-04

GREENFIELD, Ind. (CITC) — A 10-year-old Indiana boy died by suicide earlier this month after being bullied at school, his family announced this week.

Sammy Teusch was a student at Greenfield-Central Community Schools, according to WTHR. The Teusch family told the outlet Sammy endured both physical and emotional bullying at school, with classmates allegedly recently beating him up on a school bus.

"They were making fun of him for his glasses in the beginning, then on to make fun of his teeth," Sam Teusch, Sammy's father, said. "It went on for a long time."

The Teusch family contacted Greenfield-Central Community Schools 20 times about the bullying their son was facing, according to WTHR. However, the family reportedly feels nothing was done.

"He was beat up on the school bus and the kids broke his glasses and everything, and I called the school and I'm like, 'What are you doing about this? It keeps getting worse and worse and worse, and it's not getting any better," Sam Teusch told WTHR.

"They knew this was going on," he added.

Crisis in the Classroom (CITC) reached out to Greenfield-Central Community Schools for comment on the allegations, but has not received a response. Dr. Harold Olin, the district's superintendent, told WTHR administrators had regular conversations with the Teusch family about the bullying, but claims the family never submitted an official bullying report.

READ MORE | NJ school district to pay $9.1M to parents of bullied student who died by suicide

In a Facebook post, Greenfield Police Department Chief Brian Hartman said circumstances surrounding Sammy's death are still under investigation, noting the department is working to "sort truth from rumors."

A GoFundMe set up for the Teusch family describes Sammy as "smart, funny, charming and deeply empathetic." The fundraiser's description notes he "brightened the lives" of anyone he met and was "the life of the party."

"I know my baby brother didn't deserve this," Sammy's sibling wrote in the description. "A kid with so much love and so much light gone too soon."

Have something for the Crisis in the Classroom team to investigate? Call or text the national tip line at 202-417-7273.

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