Greenfield dad sues school after bullying leads 10-year-old to suicide
GREENFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — A Greenfield man who lost his son to suicide is now suing the school, claiming they failed to protect the 10-year-old from bullying.
The wrongful death lawsuit was filed in the Hancock County Circuit Court Tuesday morning. It comes after Greenfield Intermediate School fourth grader Sammy Teusch died by suicide on May 5.
In the suit, Sammy Teusch’s parents described the abuse, assault, and terror they say he experienced at the hands of school bullies.
Sammy Teusch moved to Indiana about 1.5 years before his death and Sammy began attending the Greenfield school. He told his parents he often felt unsafe there.
Sam Teusch said he went to the school for help over 20 times. Those calls fell on deaf ears, he said.
“It was only after the fact that we found out that there were actually six or seven more kids that were involved,” Sam Teusch said. “They were telling Sammy, ‘kill yourself, kill yourself, hang yourself.’ So, I wouldn’t have thought that we needed to take action months ago, but now it’s it’s definite, you know, this has to be done. We have to make changes.”
The lawsuit specifically names several school administrators. Sam Teusch said the school has never directly reached out to him following the child’s death.
“Just indirect conversations that these people are having with people that aren’t involved in anything and it makes me think back onto all the times they say we can’t mention a child’s name,” Sam Teusch said.
He said he hopes the lawsuit brings about sweeping changes.
“A better nation,” Sam Tuesch said. “A better environment for our children at school, a safer place. I want our kids to feel like they are going to a place where they can trust the person that’s there, and they can tell them what they need to and they can share … and they’re not just so dismissive.”
Sam Teusch said several other children and parents from the Greenfield school have come to him with a similar story of bullying. He hopes the lawsuit encourages anyone experiencing bullying to speak out.