EXCLUSIVEHis suicide shocked America...and one year on, dad of boy, 10 tormented over teeth and glasses has infuriating update Anyone suffering a crisis can call the suicide prevention line on 988 By LUKE KENTON, SENIOR REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 17:05 BST, 6 May 2025 | Updated: 17:05 BST, 6 May 2025 A year after a 10-year-old boy took his own life following relentless bullying over his teeth and glasses, not a single bully or teacher who allegedly turned a blind eye to the abuse has been held accountable, his grieving parents say. Samuel Teusch told the Daily Mail that the last 12 months have been incredibly difficult since losing his youngest son Sammy to suicide, with many of the days since spent crying and holding his other children more tightly than before. But beneath his enduring heartbreak lies a simmering fury: Teusch says the students who tormented his son at Greenfield Intermediate School (GSI), in Indiana, and the educators who allegedly ignored repeated warnings about the torment his son was enduring have faced no consequences. Adding to their pain, Teusch said, is the silence from the bullies’ families, who have offered neither an apology nor remorse, despite claims the harassment continued even after Sammy’s death. To this day, Teusch says the bullying has gone largely unacknowledged by officials at GSI. In a heartbreaking detail, Teusch recalled spending $525 on a new pair of glasses for Sammy just days before his son’s death. He said that the starter specs Sammy had been wearing had attracted teasing and that he hoped the swanky new pair would stop the hatred. He let his son choose any frames he wanted—but tragically, the glasses arrived two days after the little boy took his own life. Sammy Teusch, 10, tragically took his own life in May 2024 after suffering a torrent of abuse about his glasses and his teeth His father, Samuel Teusch, told the Daily Mail that, after 12 months, still none of his bullies nor the school staff members who allegedly ignored the abuse has been held accountable ‘It’s disgusting, it’s shocking, and it’s devastating,’ admitted an emotional Teusch. ‘There has been no accountability. This happened on a Sunday, and on the Monday, [the bullies] go back into school like nothing has happened, and nothing is done, and nothing is said. ‘What kind of message does that send?... The bullies will go on to target other kids because they think it’s okay… they’ll think, “I killed one and I got away with it.” ‘And if this can happen to Sammy, this can happen to any child on Earth.’ The Teusch family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Greenfield-Central Community School Corporation and its governing body in December, laying bare the unimaginable suffering Sammy was subjected to. Numerous staff members were named in the filing, including the school’s principal, Branson Curtis, and superintendent, Dr. Harold Olin, both of whom still hold the same positions within the school district. The Greenfield-Central Community School Corporation declined to comment on the ongoing litigation. Teusch said Sammy’s suffering began shortly after his family moved from Florida to Indiana in November 2022, beginning in elementary school and continuing into Greenfield Intermediate. At first, the abuse began with callous ridicule about the boy’s looks, including gibes about his glasses and teeth, and, over time, eventually escalated to physical violence, including flicking, punching, pushing, and strangling, Teusch said. Samuel keeps a mural to his son on display insider their family home, including a pair of glasses that were broken by his bullies after Sammy was attacked The bullying started in 2022 when Sammy was in elementary school, and had followed him to Greenfield Intermediate School School Superintendent Dr. Harold Olin, left, and principal Branson Curtis, right. The school previously claimed the family didn't submit any official reports of bullying In one instance, a classmate allegedly choked Sammy until he 'saw stars,' the filing says. Another is alleged to have hit him so hard with an iPad that Sammy was left with a black eye and broken glasses. Other disturbing acts include a female student and ‘other girls’ following Sammy around the school and urging him to ‘hang himself.’ The same female student later allegedly took a photo of Sammy's open casket at his funeral and was observed laughing at her phone, states the filing. Teusch told the Daily Mail he made upwards of 20 complaints about the bullying to GIS principal Bronson Curtis and others, but claims no action was taken. Sammy also pleaded with his teachers to intervene, but the young boy was ignored, he said. ‘A couple of months before he passed, after he was hit on the bus and got into trouble for it, he just told me: “Daddy, it’s okay. They don’t care. They’re not listening to me.” ‘He felt helpless… And the school told us every time that they don’t accept bullying, and they were going to do everything in their power to end this, but it never ended.’ The final straw for young Sammy tragically came in the form of a voice message sent over Snapchat on May 4, 2024, by a bully identified in court documents only as ‘NT’. According to Teusch, NT warned his son not to come into school on Monday or he’d ‘regret it.’ ‘They said, “What I did last week was nothing compared to what you're going to have happen on Monday,” claimed Teusch. ‘And it was about six hours after that message that we lost Sammy.’ A lawsuit filed by the family shows how one of Sammy's tormentors acknowledged his death was 'all my fault for bullying him' The lawsuit also features photos of the injuries Sammy sustained at the hands of bullies Local police launched an investigation after Sammy’s suicide and found that ‘some bullying’ had afflicted the boy in and out of school, but declined to bring charges against anyone (Sammy is pictured with his older sister) One of the boy's tormentors allegedly took a photo of Sammy's open casket and was observed laughing at her phone, per the lawsuit The last conversation Teusch shared with his son came on the morning of Sunday, May 5. Teuschasked his youngest child what he wanted for breakfast as he was lying in bed with his mom, cuddling up to her. ‘I want pancakes, Daddy,’ Sammy told him. Teusch left home to run to the store with one of Sammy’s older brothers. It was only after they returned home and called Sammy down for breakfast that an unimaginable tragedy was discovered. The fourth-grader was found hanging in his bedroom by his 13-year-old brother. A heartbroken Teusch said there were no indications that Sammy was suicidal. ‘He wasn’t depressed… he was a happy little boy,’ said Teusch. ‘The day before, he was on the phone to his brother, talking about when he turns 14, he wants to go to Japan. ‘Sammy had plans for the future, but he was scared to death in a moment and thought this was his only way out. ‘He was so full of life and loving and caring… I still can’t believe he’s gone.’ The Teusch family says they went to the school upwards of 20 times to complain about bullying The support among the local community has been incredible, Samuel Teusch said, but the reaction of law enforcement and the school has been disappointing Teusch described the aftermath of his son’s death as a hellish nightmare, one from which he desperately wishes to wake. Local police launched an investigation after Sammy’s suicide and found that ‘some bullying’ had afflicted the boy in and out of school, but declined to bring charges against anyone. The investigation was closed within weeks on May 31. That came despite NT acknowledging in a remorseful text that Sammy’s death was ‘all my fault for bullying him’, per the family’s lawsuit. At the time, Greenfield Deputy Police Chief Charles McMichael said there was ‘no evidence’ teachers were neglectful. Superintendent Dr. Harold Olin also challenged the Teusches' claims, saying no report of bullying was ever submitted by Sammy or his parents. Teusch called law enforcement’s response incredibly disappointing and claimed the lack of accountability has exacerbated his family’s trauma. He also accused Olin and other officials of conspiring to cover up bullying complaints and punishing those who spoke up about the issue. ‘Sammy’s best friend was sent to a classroom by himself the day after Sammy passed,’ claimed Teusch. ‘The kid simply wanted to call his dad because he couldn’t stop crying. ‘The school didn’t want him talking to other students about it because of the stigma… but we need to talk about it.’ Teusch said his son had 100 friends but it only took a handful into scaring him into making a horrific, snap-decision to end his life, beliving it to be his only way out As many as 20 percent of students ages 12 to 18 experience bullying in the US, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. While suicide is rare in children younger than 10, it is the cause of more deaths among kids ages 10 to 24 years than any single medical illness, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Teusch is determined to channel his trauma into something positive and carry Sammy’s legacy forward by turning the tide on rising suicide rates among young people. Last week, he announced he’s developing a movie inspired by Sammy’s life with Have Faith Productions called ‘Forever 10’, which he hopes will help educate parents and children about the dangers of bullying and the alarming rise in youth suicides. Teusch says multiple celebrities have offered help, but that he isn't yet able to name them. The activist father is also lobbying Congress to introduce anti-bullying legislation, and last year launched Sammy’s Tree Foundation. Samuel Teusch marked the one year of his son's passing by getting a tattoo of Sammy to ensure he's always with him A movie inspired by Sammy’s life is currently in development with Have Faith Productions called ‘Forever 10’. Sam Tuesch is an executive producer on the film ‘Everybody loved Sammy. He had 100 friends, but he had six to eight kids that tormented him into the grave, and I won’t let this happen to any other families,’ said Teusch. ‘And I’m not just talking about the kids being bullied, we also need to educate the bullies themselves. They need mental help because if they aren’t being held accountable, like the kids in my son’s case, then they’ll grow up to become even worse bullies in adulthood.’ With a year having now passed since he lost his youngest son, Teusch remembers Sammy as a bright and loving child who adored fishing and was soccer-mad. He marked the somber milestone by getting a portrait of Sammy tattooed on his forearm so his son is always with him. In his home, he also has his son’s broken glasses displayed in a shadow box on the wall to motivate him to keep going and to keep fighting. ‘Whenever I miss him, I can pick those glasses up and still see the world through Sammy’s eyes,' said Teusch. ‘We all miss him terribly… but in his name we’re going to change the world.’ Share or comment on this article: His suicide shocked America...and one year on, dad of boy, 10 tormented over teeth and glasses has infuriating update Add comment