Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing
A father has called for urgent change to be made after his 10-year-old son died by suicide.
Greenfield-Central Intermediate School fourth grade student Samuel Teusch - known as Sammy - passed away on Sunday (5 May).
The 10-year-old was discovered having died by suicide, his parents say, and his dad has since issued an urgent warning.
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Sammy's parents, Samuel and Nichole Teusch, say he was being emotionally and physically bullied at the school - located in Indiana - prior to his passing.
The young boy's father told 13News kids 'were making fun of him for his glasses and in the beginning they went on to make fun of his teeth'.
"He was beat up on the [...] school bus and the kid broke his glasses and everything," the dad continued.
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He said they now have a pair of the young boy's 'broken glasses' which now lie on a 'memorial shrine' his siblings made.
The father added to FOX 59: "'How could God take my kid from here?' Of course that was going through my head. God didn’t take my kid; hate did."
And alongside the dad 'just want[ing]' for Sammy to 'never be forgotten', he's also calling for 'action'.
The dad said: "There needs to be action. There needs to be accountability. There needs to be something that shows these defenseless children that even if you feel like there isn’t someone at home to talk to or take care of, there are thousands of people out there that want to hear your voice.
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"I want his image to be a source of empowerment for children who feel like they can’t come to someone and speak."
He resolved: "To put that little boy into words is just impossible. The people that got to know him are definitely blessed to have known him."
And Sammy's school has since spoken out too.
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A spokesperson for Greenfield-Central Community Schools district told FOX59 and CBS4: "The death of Samuel Teusch is tragic, and it has left our school corporation and larger community in tremendous grief. Our hearts pour out to the family at this time.
"Sammy was a student in Greenfield-Central for the last year and a half. [...] We were made aware of his death on Sunday afternoon, and we dispatched our crisis response team to both Greenfield Intermediate School and Greenfield Central Junior High School (where he has two siblings) to start the week.
"We have been fortunate to have an outpouring of support from our Hancock County school peers and the faith community, who also made themselves available to our students and families.
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"We have continued to provide additional mental health professionals in these two schools this week, and we have reminded all G-C families that we have mental health professionals in all eight of our schools to support our students throughout this crisis.
"Our staff in Greenfield-Central has worked with the Teusch family quite a bit over the last 18 months. Contact between school personnel and the parents was frequent.
"The parents did report the manner of death as a suicide, and we are investigating their claims related to bullying. Beyond our own investigations we are cooperating with the Greenfield Police Department in this matter.
"While the investigation continues, we are primarily focusing our resources on meeting the immediate needs of the students we serve in Greenfield-Central Schools."
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Deputy Chief Charles McMichael from the Greenfield Police Department said the investigation into Sammy's passing is ongoing.
The department shared the statement: "Parents, now is the time to talk to you kids. There shouldn’t be anything in their lives you don’t know about. School, homework, sports, friends, every aspect of their lives.
"The more conversations you have about everyday life, the more comfortable they will be talking about the hard stuff.
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"One concerning aspect right now is just being close to someone that has died by suicide is a risk factor for child suicide. 988 is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Locally, people can contact the Hancock Health Connection Center for support, resources, and counseling.
"This death is tragic for our entire community. Our hearts break for this child’s family and friends. The Greenfield Police Department is committed to investigating this case to it’s full conclusion. Anyone with information to share about this case can contact Detective Brandon Pope by email at [email protected]."
Sammy's funeral is being held on 15 May and his obituary asks people to plant a tree or donate to charity in his memory. A GoFundMe page has also been set up to support Sammy's family.
UNILAD has contacted the Greenfield-Central Community School and Greenfield Police Department for comment.
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If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.
Topics: Parenting, School, US News, Mental Health
Poppy Bilderbeck