His distraught parents claim that not a single bully or teacher who reportedly ignored the abuse has been held responsible for the 10-year-old boy’s suicide one year after he committed suicide as a result of constant bullying over his teeth and glasses.
After losing his youngest son Sammy to suicide, Samuel Teusch told the Daily Mail that the past 12 months have been extremely difficult.
He has spent many of the days since sobbing and embracing his other children closer than ever.
But underlying his long-lasting heartache is a boiling rage: Teusch claims that no repercussions have been meted out to the pupils
who tortured his son at Greenfield Intermediate School (GSI) in Indiana or the teachers who reportedly disregarded numerous warnings about the suffering his son was going through.
Teusch said the silence from the bullies’ relatives, who have not shown regret or apology despite allegations the abuse persisted even after Sammy’s passing, has added to his family’s suffering.
Teusch claims that GSI authorities have mostly ignored the bullying to this day. In a devastating detail,
Teusch remembered that days before his son passed away, he had spent $525 on a new set of glasses for Sammy.
Sammy’s starting glasses had drawn jeers, he added, and he hoped the stylish new pair would put an end to the animosity.
Unfortunately, the glasses came two days after the young child committed suicide, even though he had allowed his kid to select any frames he desired.
“It is disgusting, shocking, and devastating,” Teusch said tearfully.
No one has been held accountable. This occurred on a Sunday, and [the bullies] return to school on Monday as if nothing had occurred, nothing had been done, and nothing had been said.
What message does that convey?… Because they believe it’s acceptable, the bullies will continue to target other children. “I killed one and I got away with it,” they will believe.
“And any child on the planet could experience this if it could happen to Sammy.” In December, the Teusch family exposed the unspeakable pain
that Sammy endured by bringing a wrongful death case against the Greenfield-Central Community School Corporation and its governing body.
The filing listed a number of employees, including Dr. Harold Olin, the superintendent, and Branson Curtis, the principal of the school, who are still employed by the district.
Regarding the continuing lawsuit, the Greenfield-Central Community School Corporation chose not to comment.
According to Teusch, Sammy’s suffering started in elementary school and continued into Greenfield Intermediate School soon after his family relocated from Florida to Indiana in November 2022.
According to Teusch, the abuse started off as snide mockery of the boy’s appearance, including taunts about his teeth
and glasses, and then progressed to physical aggression, such as shoving, strangling, punching, and flicking.
One classmate allegedly choked Sammy until he’saw stars,’ according to the filing.
Another allegedly struck him so forcefully with an iPad that Sammy suffered a damaged pair of spectacles and a black eye.
Other unsettling behaviors include Sammy being followed around the school by a female student and “other girls,” who encourage him to “hang himself.”
According to the petition, the same female student was later seen laughing at her phone and reportedly took a picture of Sammy’s open casket during his funeral.
Teusch told the Daily Mail that he complained to Bronson Curtis, the principle of GIS, and others about the bullying on more than 20 occasions, but that nothing was done about it.
Sammy also begged his professors to step in, but he claimed that the small child was disregarded.
After getting into trouble for being hit on the bus a few months before to his death, he just informed me,
“Daddy, it’s okay.” They are indifferent. They’re not paying attention to me.
“He felt powerless.” The school repeatedly assured us that bullying is unacceptable and that every effort would be made to put an end to it, but it never did.
Tragically, the last straw for little Sammy was a voicemail delivered via Snapchat on May 4, 2024, by a bully who was only known as “NT” in court filings.
Teusch claims that NT told his son he would “regret it” if he went to school on Monday.
“They asserted that Teusch’s actions from last week were insignificant in comparison to what will transpire on Monday.
“And we lost Sammy about six hours after that message.” On the morning of Sunday, May 5, Teusch had his final talk with his son.
When his youngest child was laying in bed with his mother, snuggling close to her, Teusch asked him what he wanted for breakfast.
“Daddy, I want pancakes,” Sammy said to him. Teusch and one of Sammy’s elder brothers left the house to go to the grocery.
An unthinkable catastrophe was only uncovered after they got home and invited Sammy down for breakfast.
His brother, 13, discovered the fourth-grader hanging in his bedroom. “There were no signs that Sammy was suicidal,” said a distraught Teusch.
Teusch remarked, “He was a happy little boy, not depressed.” He was talking to his brother on the phone the day before about his desire to visit Japan when he turned 14.
Even though Sammy had plans for the future, he was so terrified that he believed this was his only option.
“He was so loving, caring, and full of life.” I’m still in shock that he’s gone. Teusch characterized his son’s death’s aftermath as a terrible nightmare from which he longs to awaken.
Following Sammy’s death, the local police conducted an investigation and concluded that the youngster had been subjected to
“some bullying” both inside and outside of school. However, they chose not to file charges against anyone.
On May 31, the investigation was concluded in a few of weeks. That occurred even though, according to the family’s lawsuit,
NT admitted in a heartfelt text that “all my fault for bullying him” was to blame for Sammy’s death.
Charles McMichael, the deputy police chief for Greenfield at the time, claimed there was “no evidence” that teachers were careless.
Superintendent Dr. Harold Olin also disputed the Teusches’ allegations, stating that neither Sammy nor his parents had filed a bullying report.
Teusch said the lack of accountability has made his family’s trauma worse and described the response from law enforcement as “extremely disappointing.”
In addition, he charged Olin and other officials with plotting to suppress bullying accusations and punish individuals who raised the issue.
According to Teusch, “the day after Sammy passed away, Sammy’s best friend was sent to a classroom by himself.” “The child was crying uncontrollably and just wanted to call his father.
“We need to talk about it, but the school didn’t want him talking to other students about it because of the stigma.”
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, bullying affects up to 20% of kids in the US between the ages of 12 and 18.
The American Academy of Pediatrics states that although suicide is uncommon in children under the age of ten,
it is the leading cause of death for children between the ages of ten and twenty-four, more so than any other medical condition.
Teusch is committed to transforming his trauma into something constructive and continuing Sammy’s legacy by halting the rise in youth suicide.
He revealed last week that he is working with Have Faith Productions to create a film called “Forever 10” that is based on Sammy’s life.
He thinks the film will assist parents and kids understand the risks of bullying and the startling increase in teen suicides.
Teusch claims that some famous people have offered to help, but he is unable to identify them at this time.
In addition to starting Sammy’s Tree Foundation last year, the activist parent is urging Congress to pass anti-bullying legislation.
Sammy was adored by all. “I won’t let this happen to any other families,” Teusch said, adding that despite having a hundred friends, he was harassed to his death by six to eight children.
Furthermore, we must teach the bullies themselves in addition to the children who are being harassed. They require mental health treatment because,