10 Y.O. Commits Suicide After Bullying for Teeth and Glasses

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Schools need to be much more strict on bullying

The school gives a milquetoast boilerplate statement,
not taking any responsibility for the bullying atmosphere at their schools.

Investigation underway after Indiana 10-year-old dies by suicide

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.

Even with the parents going to school officials 20 times,
the superintendent denies any reporting of bullying at all.

10-year-old boy dies by suicide, parents blame the school

WTHR reached out to the superintendent of schools, Dr. Harold Olin, for an interview and although he wasn’t available, he did answer questions. Olin said there was no bullying report ever submitted by the parents or the student. But he also said the school’s administrators and counselor had regular conversations with the family throughout the year, though he can’t share the content of those conversations. Sammy’s family said the bullying progressed from school and the bus to places like Snapchat, even despite him having limited access to his phone.

The grandmother has the best statement about this:

”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. People trust their kids to the school, but now that trust is breaking down.”
Cynthia Teusch. Grandmother

Imo the school's complete inaction makes them directly responsible, just as much as the bullies.

Isn’t the school’s administration complicit in his death?

At what point do the schools do something?!

When you knock a bully down with a chair... that's when they do something. And what they do? They suspend you.

Like what has society come to where we let this thing happen. How fucking irresponsible and ignorant are people

Absolutely heartbreaking.. rip little dude

Looks like investigation is underway, some fucking people will see what's what hopefully

I started getting bullied around that age too, for being autistic and struggling with anxiety. Like this poor boy, it was for something I couldn’t help. I understand this kid’s pain - being tormented for something you have no control over. And it’s especially hard when you’re that young. I was made to feel like every little thing I said or did was wrong, like I was lesser than simply for being myself, for existing. I was lonely and miserable and didn’t understand why being treated so maliciously. Even now, 14 years later, I still carry the trauma and scars from all of it.

It should never have come to this. No 10 year old should be faced with bullying and basically told to deal with it by the adults that are supposed to support and protect them. It’s sickening that this boy’s parents talked to the school about his situation more than 20 times, yet nothing happened. Why, did the school care more about their reputation than the mental health of their student?!

This boy was only 10. He had so much life ahead of him - birthdays, getting his first job, learning to drive, homecomings, prom, graduations, college. Now he’ll never get any of that.

Fuck this school. Fuck his bullies and their families.

Rest in peace, Sammy.

And the school system's response to this? Cheerful, goofy-looking posters that say things like "be a buddy not a bully" in every hallway (that do fucking nothing). And if you try to defend yourself when you get bullied, they either don't believe your side of the story, or they punish you instead because you "responded the wrong way".

I know this from seven straight years of experience.

Those bullies parents should go to prison

I related too! I had my glasses broken in 8th grade, kids would literally make fun of me daily and It went from middle school into high school, in middle school I'd call my mom to pick me up all the time. I remember the school wouldn't do shit about it! The day I got my glasses broken? My grandpa showed up to the school and was screaming and slamming his hands on the counter at the office. The school chose to have me homeschooled as if I was was the problem. I can say bc of this I never truly finished 8th grade and the problem girl? She finished 8th grade did the dance and the graduation and went to high school with me where she continued the bullying so did new people.

I started to ditch and go home bc I didn't want to deal with it. Eventually the assistant principal who knew I was being bullied and knew I was having struggles in math class, called my mom and I to the office. Did she offer to help? Nope! She suggested I drop out and I did.

I'm 38 now I don't have any friends, I'm married no kids, I only have friends online. I don't trust anyone, I have PTSD, Trauma on top of my adhd and depression, I refuse to socialize IRL I'll only socialize online.

I can't hold a job, I still can't do math worth a fuck. I'm in college about to graduate with a degree in history. I won't do in person classes only online.

This little man didn't deserve any of this bullshit. I just want to write his school district and hug his family.

Went to a funeral last week for a 13 year old, same reason as this child. School need to step the fuck up and understand that they have a duty of care.

Schools run on the logic that a bully is a troubled person, so they emphasize and try to get him better, all while completely dismissing the bullying victim bc of some stupid reason often akin to "the bully can't help it bc his family:(((" and it's absolute bs. Just because you've been through some shit, doesn't mean you get to be a bad person and ruin lives.

This is sad af and the school deserves a lawsuit.

This makes me angry

Parents need to talk to their kids and provide a no judgment zone anytime anywhere. And protect their kids because schools ain’t gonna do crap most of the time. Sometimes even get a lil cray cray because these kids futures are what matters and now this little angle don’t have one. But those bullies will and most likely they have crappy parents or none at all

This is heartbreaking!!!! Makes me so angry. Condolences to the boy’s family and friends.

Jesus, he looked like the stereotype of a normal little boy and they bullied him for that. I count myself lucky I didn't go to one of these incredibly vicious schools.

Once i have kids, the moment they say someone is bullying them, im gonna beat up the bully kids myself, because the school sure as shit ain't doing anything

I hope the school takes some responsibility for this, but also, I hope the kids bullying him get put through the system and never escape. I wish nothing but a shitty existence for them. In and out of prison, piles of debt, drug addiction, loads of medical issues, absolute and total suffering, but not death. No. No. They deserve to live a full miserable existence. Fuck those kids.

Our school district here in Dauphin county, PA rebuffed a suicide prevention program OFFERED to it. OH it's a legitimate program. I won't say from where it was referred to the school but they're serious folks.

Why? Rampaging bullying and a high number of kids in psychiatric hospitals. For suicidal ideation. Point being our school COULD refuse. Bullying? Sue us. Suicide? Oh, well.

Schools are gifted an insane amount of autonomy.As we see from this story too dam much. Small government you say? We don't want the state or federal government in our schools, let the small government decide, and THIS CHILD makes that er, freedom worth it? Then fck that.

This poor, dear child. His family robbed of their child and shattered. No words. A lot of rage.

Ugh this makes my heart so sad!

Is it school ? Or maybe are parents?

It's extremely infuriating and this news made me very sad.

Something tells me school shootings are gonna be at an all time high soon

I was not bullied for these reasons but i was for my autism

Its insane how schools just dont care

Last year i tried to commit suicide because of the bullying, and even after that, nothing was done about it.

I would haunt those kids for the rest of their lives. Constantly posting yearly reminders. I hope someone posts a memorial at their 2031 graduation ceremony as well because the kids responsible don't deserve to forget it. Remind them who should be there graduating with them.

Any staff that sat there and did nothing should be sued into the ground till their run dry of money and left on the streets homeless without the slightest possibility of ever getting a job again.

does it say how he took his life?

All they have is pink shirt bullshit day. But they never actually do anything about bullying. It's fuckin disgusting

3 of my sister’s friends were beat up by a bunch of ratchet black girls and one of the girls is INTENTIONALLY violating their restraining order. the school still hasnt done anything about it and there is solid evidence. the fight was over not wanting to sit by some old man.

Damn this school. Damn those "adults".

I always taught my kids to beat ass AFTER they've exhausted all their opportunities at mediation.

I'm so tired of hearing about lovely children being bullied.

Damn those poor excuses for adults

Mt friend was bullied in 3rd grade and then I got bullied by thr same guy for standing up for my friend.

A year later I ended up socking him in the nose as he wouldn't let me go past him to attend class.

Guess who got in trouble? Me. My dad was fucking livid that they gave me shit. Could hear him yelling from the other room.

He took me to McDonald's and just said he was product that I stood up for myself and my friend.

If that were my son my life wouldve ended with him.

I wouldve turned Punisher, there is no justice, you have to get it yourself.

Every bully at school should have to (by LAW!!) complete one of those "Scared Straight" programs with current or former Marine Corps Drill Instructors. You wanna bully? Fine. Let's see if you can handle the professionals first, though.

Most of the bullies I've met in my life (including myself for a brief period in 6th and 7th Grade) would be crying in less than 10 seconds with a D.I. in their faces. If you wanna dish it out, you gotta prove you can take it first, you little snot-nosed, crumb-snatching bastards!

Why is it such a widespread phenomenon that bullies get away with it and when the bullied kid fights back he gets punished for it?

My son is his age. I wouldn’t know how to cope if this happened to my boy.

I hope all those kids who picked on him, their parents and everyone involved in the school administration feel shame for the rest of their lives.

My 7 y/o son has been actually harassed by a fellow student for two months... The school has yet to do anything but suggest moving MY child away from his friends to another class... I'll be going in Monday morning with my son, so the school can finish their "investigation"...

I might get shit on for this, but here are my two cents: bullying can legitimately be a problem for some students, but unless there is concrete proof, it’s really hard to punish kids. I’m a teacher, I have kids claiming to be bullied when they say someone looks at them the wrong way, or a girl says something once behind another’s back. Being a child is very complicated. Honestly, the social anxiety is worse for kids than adults I think, because they’re not ready to process any form of rejection and therefore any sort of rejection can feel like the end of the world. Which is too bad, because school does indeed end one day and you get to live life how you want, free from small minded classmates’ judgement. It’s too bad this little boy didn’t live long enough to see that.

I think if there is injury or property damage from bullying, it could be time to get the police/court system involved, since schools don't do anything.

That poor boy and his family.. what a tragedy. Rest in peace, young man. I'm sorry they hurt you so.

States need to have laws to handle bullying in school. It should hold the school responsible to stop the bullying.

I still don't understand we are in the year 2024 and school admins think it's ok to ignore bullying and fighting.

shedding tears for that beautiful little boy and his family. this is why my child will not go to public school.

Fuck, the pain these parents have to feel. Those same features he was made fun of are the same features his parents probably adored and loved, I’m sure all they long for is to see those again. I have two boys; 6&5. I promise we’re doing everything we can to teach them how wrong this is, to be the ones that stand up for these kids and care for them. Some kids can be so nasty, mostly learned from their parent’s behavior. 😞

he was such a cutie pie, devastating he never realized his true beauty. he deserved so much better

This absolutely ruined my day. Entirely preventable. No child should ever feel so hopeless that they take their own life.

Jesus. Childhood really is unironically the easiest and hardest part of a life, it's just... too much of everything. Too intense, i can't blame the kid, his life was probably living hell, living in constant fear.

Some kids look or act a bit goofy and then you have other kids that are almost programmed on a primal level to detect them and hurt them, and hurt them bad. it's pure sadism, they enjoy it, and the more you're crying and suffering the more weak you appear to them and they bully you even more.

they don't even fully understand why, they just saw this kid and went for it like sharks. Scariest of all, many kids that age have alarmingly low level of empathy. Sure they care about their friends and immediate family, but everyone else is free game, and worst of all; it's near impossible to "teach" someone empathy, either it eventually develops and things kinda click into place psychologically, or they just continue through life bullying people exactly as they did in school until they get locked up.

Dear Lord above. The resemblance to one of my grandchildren (4 yrs) is uncanny. This Poppa has gone to schools, busses, parent’s houses to stop the harassment of some of my other grandkids. If the school doesn’t handle it ASAP (they never do) the clock starts ticking on serious psychological damage. That’s why I am willing to go full nuclear to get it stopped immediately. I’m not a badass, but I will make a MF’s life a living hell over this stuff.

Rest in peace young one.

This is so infuriating and unjust!!!

I remember back in my middle school we had a kid that got bullied a lot and in response our class had to take a two day "anti-bullying" training. The kid ended up switching schools but it wasn’t until I finished school that I heard of stories where NOTHING was done when someone got bullied :0 I never knew this was so common. I was slightly bullied in elementary school by a boy that would pinch and push me but when I had a bruise one time my mom called his mom and since then he avoided me 😅

Just horrible.

Way to phone it in parents. They all failed this beautiful child.

This is why schools suck. If it doesn’t directly affect them, they do Jack shit about it. My heart goes out to this boy’s parents and other loved ones. He didn’t deserve to be driven to suicide, especially at his age. I hope the children that did this get severely punished. 10 years old is old enough to know that such extreme acts of bullying are never ok.

TEN. YEARS. OLD. He was far too young. Schools need to do something to stop bullying. They care if you chew gum, wear hats inside, have makeup, whatever. But if this is the consequence of not caring for their students and their mental health, they need to care more.

May he rest in peace.

My 11 year old daughter is bullied all the time .. but I’ve made it known to the school that I have the means to take them down to Chinatown .. legally.. also my daughter is smart enough to send me the screenshots of snapchats the bullies have sent her.. she does not respond back.. they just go at it on her.. the language they use is disgusting.. so …… I take photo copies of it on my phone .. and send it to the entire administration of the school with a note to set up a meeting.. to fix this.. then I get on Snapchat myself and send a copies to the bullies with a note that informs these little assholes that a copy of the chat has been sent to the school.. a copy will be sent to your parents .. and now I will be contacting my lawyer.. and the police.. buh bye!! Someone’s gotta humble these little shits..

The teachers won't give a damn about this, no one wanna be a teacher anymore.

Bruh, kids are crazy. Horse teeth? Glasses? Idk why people hate on others for wearing glasses just makes no sense. And the teeth, what? Kids are growing, they're always gonna look different too. Idk

whats that zero something something tolerance something something

Holy fuck Kuwana was right

How did he kill himself?

[GIF] 

How'd he do it?

I don't even want to send my baby to school when she's old enough 😭

If I lost my child I’d have nothing left to live for. I’d take my revenge on every single person responsible.

This would break my heart regardless, but as the mother of a soon to be 10 year old with glasses, janky teeth (we're looking into braces), and AuDHD which makes him kinda offset from some of his peers in social situations, it really hits home.

That poor boy was absolutely beautiful. What a terrible waste.

What about Sammy’s teacher? I bet she says she knew nothing about this … I’ll wager a bet on this one

Also if any of you have children, do they want to go to school because of bullying? Or do they stay home

How did he do it??? Hard to imagine how a 10 year old would kill himself.

Why did they not take him out of the school if it was that bad?????????

I hope this sweet boy's parents sue TF out of that school! Schools have long been absolutely negligent where bullies are concerned!!! It just keeps happening because they are NEVER held accountable! If the parents went to the school ONE time, much less 20, and nothing was done, that is pure neglect, lack of care or concern and it's downright criminal! All bullies are cowards, every single one of them, and the only way they can build themselves up is to pick on and tear others down. I'm so very sorry to Sammy's family! I know money won't bring him back, but maybe if that disgusting worthless POS school has to shell out millions, they will take the next case seriously! Also, I heard the cops are going to be charging these bullies? If that's true, good. Maybe a little time in juvenile hall will make them think about what they did. Shame on that school!

It only takes ONE kid to stand up for the victim, just ONE. Be the bigger person and have some honor and integrity because bullies have zero and bullies are little punks.

Poor little guy. Sammy's death could have been prevented!!!

those glasses are awesome 

I was severely bullied at his age and younger. if I'd realized I wouldn't have faced real consequences for it due to age, I would've [insert bannable content here]. I have ptsd from it

Agree with everything said about the schools, but now having read the People magazine article where the dad was interviewed, I'm infuriated by his insufficient response, too. Parents have to step up and protect their kids, even go to battle for them. Period. He would report an incident to the school and then move on. The sister's friend was over the day before he died, and the bully was calling the friend on her cell phone and bullying Sammy over the phone. What did the dad do? Redirect and have Sammy go play in another room with his brother. That's not a time for redirection. That's when you take the phone and talk to the bully yourself, scream at them to never mess with your kid again, and threaten to call the police. Lastly, Sammy should have also been pulled out and moved to a different school by his parents long ago. This is a failure of the school first and foremost, but also every adult in Sammy's life that cared about him and knew about the problem.

I think about the scene where Colin Farrell beat the shit out of his sons bully

I would be going to jail for murdering some kids parents.

I’m just saying if your kid bullies my kid to death… I think you should be held accountable.

I can't even fathom it. In the 1950s kids that wore glasses did not get bullied, neither did bucktoothed kids. This kid here is not buck toothed. I don't even see what's wrong with his teeth. It is heartbreaking, it is SO damned sad.

Sue the school district, personally sue the administrators, teachers , whoever was told repeatedly and did nothing. Sue them for millions and hold them personally responsible for their lack of accountability. I would sue and find retribution also on the parents of the bully.

I know this is sensitive. I know its school, bully´s parents fault. And Im not trying to victimize, be rude ect. But...If parents went to school over 20 times. Couldnt they just transfer their kid?

And even tho Im not a parent (yet), I dont think you can fully control your child´s behavior in school (Or somewhere where you cannot keep eye on him). If a child (bully) wants to do something, they are gonna do it regardless being grounded, yelled at, not having phone, computer ect.

I’m in tears reading this. This beautiful little boy will never have the chance to see the kindness of strangers from this post. He will never experience college where he can leave all his childhood scumbag bullies behind him.

Is it just me, or does anyone else wonder how the hell a 4th grader goes about taking their own life??? That just doesn’t make sense to me. At that age suicide is the last thing that should be on a child’s mind. His parents knew this was a repeat occurrence for their son, yet they left him to fend for himself in that fucked up school. I would have homeschooled my kid the minute I got wind of the second occurrence of bullying.

Zzz

well yeah sad and all (sorry, "psychopath" here) but unpopular opinion: such is life.

1. his teeth were simply so bad (i assume glasses just added to it) and his capability to fit in (being the class comedian) wasnt good enough to make up for it, that it was an evolutionary pressure bigger than his resistance to persist. now he wont get offspring with bad teeth and (maybe) glasses. the next kid (that will never be born) doesent have to suffer. cycle interrupted. its SAD for the parents, i can understand that (psychopath, not mentally challenged), but cant we look objectively at this instead of sulking so much? (at least we, who arent the parents). also for that one guy that usually pesters me about this : yes there are exceptions, yes the offspring doesent HAVE to have bad teeth, no, its still generalizable because in average the chances are very high so the statement still stays true.
2. in his case, it was obvious because it was phänotypical (you could SEE the teeth and the glasses) and gets into big media. but what with the rest of the people who did suicide or become school shooters or just keep living miserably? because of less obvious, non-visible genetic offsets? who makes a mildly infuriating post about those? no one. do i want that to happen? no. such is life.
3. while some common sense and mutual respect is obviously a beneficial trait in humans and should be tried to implement and be uphold in society, but what do you expect kids their age to do? they are kids, they act the way they evolved. its a jungle out there. i got my fair share of mobbing as well (had long hair and very feminine face as a guy, got nicknamed "girly" basically (in german: "mädchen"). i survived because i was capable to adapt and fit in. if i didnt, that would have been it. again, such is life. at some point we should try to understand it instead of trying to FORCE things to work out.
4. that said (3.) what do people in this sub expect the schools to do? there is a stable social ecosystem out there. if kids are bullying, their parents often are in one way or another enabling that behaviour, teachers cant just hit their ass and scream at them to correct that behaviour and any amount of "nicely talking to them" wont make a bully stop bullying. it takes time for them to learn what social consequences are, how others react if you say certain things (especially if they ARENT psychopaths and dont analayse and understand emotions to fit in, but simply "use" them) and what impact their words have on others. you cant "prevent" that learning phase. you can try to lower its time, parents can try to raise their kids with some manners and common sense, while talking to them about their days and teaching them not to let others words get to them etc. but ultimately there will be some whos hormon regulation, whos outer appearance, whos genetics and causal environment simply lead to a dead end. nothing infuriating about this.

Parents literally tried everything to not be parents