GREENFIELD, Ind. (WISH) – Relentless physical and mental bullying at school led 10-year-old Sammy Teusch to suicide, his family tells News 8. His dad, Sam Teusch, says the school did not contact them after his death. 

On Sunday, May 5, Sam Teusch was making pancakes for his four young kids at their Greenfield home. 

Sam Teusch says his life changed forever when he walked upstairs and found his son lifeless. He later died and the cause of death was determined to be suicide, he said. 

He remembers his fourth grade son as the soccer-loving “rock” of the family, whose death was completely avoidable. 

Sammy Teusch began experiencing bullying at Greenfield schools almost as soon as the family moved to the state about 1.5 years ago, according to Sam Teusch. He often felt unsafe at school.

The bullying became physical and mental, leading the family to contact school administration nearly 20 times with their concerns. Sam Teusch said his relentless calls fell on deaf ears. 

“I wish I would have taken more pictures, I tried taking photos of knots on his head,” Sam Teusch said. “It’s all hindsight now.”

Following Sammy Teusch’s death, the family said the school issued a statement to students and their parents. 

The same statement sent to everyone in the district was sent to the Teusch family. They said they received no other communication from the school regarding their son’s death. 

“We never actually heard from them,” Sam Teusch said. 

WISH-TV has reached out for the statement, but has not heard back. 

As the news of Sammy Teusch’s death began to spread, so did the speculation about his parents. Sam Teusch is speaking out to set the record straight on one key rumor he was made aware of. 

“This was not committed by a gun,” Sam Teusch said. “The way this was done is nobody’s business.” 

Though he is determined to offer clarity on that component, he’s even more set on keeping one main piece at the top-of-mind: Bullying in school is a pattern and no family should face this reality. 

As friends who attended school with Sammy Teusch flocked to their house to honor him, they shared stories of similar experiences at school with Sam Teusch. 

“This wasn’t five kids, this was 25 kids that are experiencing this,” Sam Teusch said. 

Sam Teusch said a pattern of bullying within the school could have been avoidable with certain systems in place. The school told the family about a bullying report system, but they were not made aware of it until after Sammy Teusch’s death. They say every other family they have spoken to was also not aware of the reporting system. 

His death led to a protest Saturday afternoon in Greenfield. Parents, students, and activists took to the streets to call for better anti-bullying legislation. 

 As the family works hard to keep their boy’s legacy alive, they’ve each taken different steps. 

Both of Sammy Teusch’s parents got tattoos of his name written in his handwriting. The tattoo artist replicated the writing from a signed envelope with the last tooth he ever lost. 

They are just one group honoring Sammy Teusch at every turn. 

The family’s home is lined with mementos and photos of the boy from close family members and also from people across the country and world. 

Mental health resources

• Be Well Indiana
• Indiana Suicide Prevention
• Indiana Department of Child Services’ Children’s Mental Health Initiative
• National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988 or 800-273-8255
• More resources