Dad Says He Reached Out to School About Bullying 20 Times Before 10-Year-Old Son’s Suicide
Nicole Hinkle Teusch/Facebook
A 10-year-old boy in Indiana tragically took his own life after enduring relentless bullying at school, according to his family. Sammy Teusch, a fourth-grader, died by suicide on May 5 after experiencing what his family described as “horrific bullying.”
His parents, Sam and Nichole Teusch stated they had raised concerns with the school at least 20 times over the past year. Sammy’s father, Sam Teusch, shared his heart-wrenching experience with The New York Post, saying, “I held him in my arms. I did the thing no father should ever have to do, and any time I close my eyes, it’s all I can see.”
Sammy had been bullied since last year when he was in elementary school. The torment began with his glasses and escalated to include mocking his teeth. His father recounted how Sammy was physically attacked on the school bus, resulting in his glasses being broken. “I called the school, and I’m like, ‘What are you doing about this? It keeps getting worse, and worse, and worse,’” his father claimed.
Despite these reports, the school district’s superintendent denied receiving any such complaints. However, the district acknowledged that school administrators and a counselor had regular discussions with Sammy’s family throughout the year. The family insisted that their concerns had been made clear to the school. “They knew this was going on. They knew this was going on,” Sam Teusch emphasized.
Sammy’s grandmother, Cynthia Teusch, expressed her outrage at the district’s claim of having a zero-tolerance policy on bullying. “That they can’t just say they have zero tolerance because that doesn’t mean there is zero tolerance about bullies; their zero tolerance means that they don’t have responsibility for it,” she told a local outlet. She also highlighted the breakdown of trust between parents and the school system, stating, “People trust their kids to the school, but now that trust is breaking down.”
Sammy’s mother, Nichole, believes the constant bullying drove her son to take his own life. She mentioned a particular incident in a bathroom the week before his death that left Sammy too frightened to return to school. Reflecting on her loss, she said, “He was my little boy. He was my baby. He was the youngest one.”
The family’s tragic loss underscores the severe impact of bullying and the critical need for schools to take proactive measures to address and prevent such behavior.
Note: If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can always reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988. They are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
