US boy, 10, dies by suicide after 'horrific bullying' at school, parents blame school authorities
Both parents said Sammy was bullied at his school for his glasses and teeth
The parents of a 10-year-old US boy were devastated upon learning that their'baby boy'had died by suicide after having enough of"horrific bullying"at school. The Indiana family claimed they had sounded alarm with the school authorities 20 times in the past year but to no avail.
The parents, Sam and Nichole, said Sammy Teusch was relentlessly bullied by his schoolmates until he decided to end his life on May 5.
“Iheld him in my arms,” said Sam Teusch, the dad of the fourth-grader at middle school.“I did the thing no father should ever have to do, and any time I close my eyes,it’sall I can see,”he was quoted as saying by the New York Post.
Bullied for glasses and teeth
Both parents said Sammywas bulliedat his school for his glasses and teeth, something they had duly communicated to school authorities over'20times'throughout the last year.
“They were making fun of him for his glasses in the beginning, then on to make fun of his teeth. It went on for a long time,”his dad said.
“He was beat up on the school bus, and the kids broke his glasses and everything,”he said.
“I called the school, andI’mlike,‘What are you doing about this? It keeps getting worse, and worse, and worse,’"he added.
School district deniesclaims
The school districthoweversaid they received no bullying complaint either from the parents or the child himself.
However, the school authorities confirmed that theschool’sadministrators and counsellor were in regular touch with the family and the child.
“They knew this was going on. They knew this was going on,”the dad said.
SammyTeusch'sgrandma meanwhile blasted the school authorities for claiming they had a zero-tolerance policy on bullying.
"That theycan’tjust say they have zero tolerance because thatdoesn’tmean there is zero tolerance about bullies, their zero tolerance means that theydon’thave responsibility for it,”Cynthia Teuschwas quotedas saying by a local state outlet.
(With inputs from agencies)