GREENFIELD, Ind. — A Greenfield family is grieving after their 10-year-old son died by suicide earlier this week.
“I just want him to never be forgotten,” said Sam Teusch, Sammy’s father.
10-year-old Sammy Teusch was known for his kindness, energetic personality, and love of the outdoors.
“To put that little boy into words is just impossible,” Sam Teusch said. “The people that got to know him are definitely blessed to have known him.”
On Sunday, Sammy’s father woke up to something that no parent should go through, a nightmare that he says he will never wake up from, the death of his youngest son by suicide.
“How could God take my kid from here? Of course that was going through my head. God didn't take my kid; hate did,” he said.
Sammy’s parents say he was bullied both physically and emotionally at school. They say their son was recently beaten up on a school bus and that just last week he was cornered by bullies in the school bathroom.
“I have his broken glasses sitting over there in a memorial shrine that my kids made,” he said.
And Sammy is not alone. Many other kids face bullies every single day, which in recent years has become a lot more common.
“The world is a lot different now than it was even 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 30 years ago,” said Brent Eaton, the Hancock County Prosecutor. “It’s very, very different. There’s a lot of negativity out there…. We didn't have text messages 20 years ago. We didn't have the ability to use social messaging 15 years ago. That’s different.”
That's why the Hancock County Prosecutor says more communication between students, staff, and parents is needed to prevent more of these incidents from happening in the future.
“If we have an environment where young people have a safe place, and they can go to someone with those concerns, and even if it may be difficult or embarrassing that they feel safe in letting people know they may be being harassed or bullied, that will help a lot. We want to start there and work together to do that,” he said.
Greenfield-Central Community Schools is investigating the death along with the Greenfield Police Department. FOX59/CBS4 reached out to the district, and they sent the following statement:
“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. He finished his 3rd grade year at Weston Elementary School in May of 2023, and he was a 4th grade student at Greenfield Intermediate School during the current 2023-24 school year.
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. 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.”
FOX59/CBS4 reached out to the Greenfield Police Department as well. Deputy Chief Charles McMichael said this is still an active investigation and there is not a lot of information that can be shared at this time. They did pass along the following 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.
One concerning aspect right now is just being close to someone that has died by suicide is a risk factor for child suicide (https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/suicidal-behaviors [nationwidechildrens.org]). 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 bpope@greenfieldin.org.
With the recent rise in bullying in schools across the country, Sammy’s dad is asking for more to be done to protect kids during the school day.
“There needs to be action,” he said. “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.”
The Teuschs hope Sammy's legacy will continue to live on and that more will be done to protect kids like him in the future.
“I want his image to be a source of empowerment for children who feel like they can't come to someone and speak,” Sam Teusch said.
Sammy is remembered not only by his family but also by many others in the Greenfield community. That includes his friends at the Greenfield Area Soccer Club. They released the following statement to our FOX59/CBS4 team:
Sammy Teusch was a beloved member of our soccer community. His coach, Alan Campbell, described him as being fun to be around, energetic, and a great team player. Our club's mission is to provide a safe environment and place of belonging for the youth in our community, and we are devastated at the tragic loss of this young man. Sammy and his three siblings played soccer at Greenfield Area Soccer Club. We will strive to honor his memory and will miss him terribly.
To help support the family during this difficult time, click here.