Hundreds gather at funeral of 10-year-old who ended his own life, boy’s dad calls for urgent action

Warning: This article features mentions of suicide, which some readers may find distressing.

Hundreds of people gathered at the funeral of a 10-year-old boy who tragically took his own life.

As previously reported, Samuel Teusch, known as Sammy, a fourth-grade student at Greenfield-Central Intermediate School in Indiana, passed away on Sunday, May 5.

His bereaved parents, Samuel and Nichole Teusch, revealed that their little boy was subjected to both physical and emotional bullying at his school before his death.

“I held him in my arms,” his dad told WTHR. “I did the thing no father should ever have to do, and any time I close my eyes, it’s all I can see.”

Sammy passed away on May 5. Credit: Stillinger Family Funeral Home

Speaking to 13News, Sammy’s father explained how much his son suffered, sharing: “Kids were making fun of him for his glasses, and in the beginning, they went on to make fun of his teeth.”

The situation escalated to physical violence, with the 10-year-old being assaulted on the school bus, resulting in his glasses being broken.

“We now have a pair of the young boy’s ‘broken glasses’ which now lie on a ‘memorial shrine’ his siblings made,” the dad said, per FOX 59.

On Tuesday (May 14), mourners gathered at Sammy’s funeral in Greenfield, Indiana. Over 100 motorcyclists, hosted by Iron Sharpens Iron Motorcycle Ministry, showed up to show their support for the late boy.

A service was held in a nearby auditorium, where many people commemorated Sammy’s memory and shared fond memories.

Neighbor Andrew McIntosh delivered the youngster’s eulogy and shared that the late boy quickly befriended his son Judah after moving into the neighborhood.

“Right there in my hallway was a handsome little boy that I swear could have been pulled right out of an Andy Griffith episode or a Norman Rockwell painting,” he said, according to the Greenfield Reporter. “I knew immediately that my son had made a good friend.”

He said Sammy seemed popular among the local kids and was often seen with “the biggest grin on his face,” adding: “He just looked up at me sweating, those glasses that rose up on his cheeks over a smile that was way too big for his little face.”

“But when he did smile, and I mean really smile, he just seemed to suck the darkness out of every corner in the room,” he concluded.

Sammy was 10 years old when he passed away. Credit: GoFundMe

Sammy’s devastated father is hoping that his son’s memory sparks change about relentless bullying in school.

“There needs to be action. There needs to be accountability,” he said. “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.”

He also wants Sammy’s legacy to help other children facing similar struggles. “I want his image to be a source of empowerment for children who feel like they can’t come to someone and speak,” he emphasized.

Although the boy’s family shared that they complained to the school about the bullying, Greenfield Community Schools superintendent Dr. Harold Olin claimed to WTHR that no bullying report was ever submitted by the parents or by Sammy.

He also alleged that the institution’s administrators and counselors had been in contact with the family, but refused to offer specifics of these discussions.

Our thoughts continue to be with Sammy’s loved ones at this time.