Indiana
10-Year-Old Boy Dies By Suicide After 'Horrific Bullying' At School, Parents Say They Raised Alarm 20 Times – News18
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The school district’s superintendent denied any bullying reports had ever been submitted by either the parents or boy. (@CollinRugg/X)
Sammy Teusch, a fourth-grader at Greenfield Intermediate School, was bullied right up until the night he died by suicide on May 5
A 10-year-old boy in the US state of Indiana killed himself after being subjected to “horrific bullying” at school, according to his family, who said they raised the alarm at least 20 times in the last year.
Sammy Teusch, a fourth-grader at middle school in the Midwestern state, was bullied right up until the night he died by suicide on May 5, according to his parents Sam and Nichole. “I held him in my arms,” his dad, Sam Teusch, was quoted as saying by The New York Post. “I did the thing no father should ever have to do, and any time I close my eyes, it’s all I can see.”
NEW: 10-year-old boy takes his own life after getting constantly bullied at school for his glasses and teeth.Heartbreaking.
Sammy Teusch of Greenfield, Indiana was bullied up until the night he took his own life according to his family.
The parents say they contacted the… pic.twitter.com/MTci1UPWxM
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 15, 2024
Sammy’s parents said they complained to the school nearly 20 times about the bullying that started last year when he was in elementary school. “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, and I’m like, ‘What are you doing about this? It keeps getting worse, and worse, and worse,’” the dad claimed.
Despite claims of relentless bullying, the school district’s superintendent denied any such reports had ever been submitted. However, the district authorities did acknowledge that the school’s administrators and counselor had regular talks with the family throughout the year. Sammy’s family asserted that their fears had been made clear. “They knew this was going on. They knew this was going on,” the dad said.
Sammy’s grandma was livid at the district claiming it has a zero-tolerance policy on bullying. ”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,” Cynthia Teusch told a local state outlet.
“People trust their kids to the school, but now that trust is breaking down.” The boy’s mom claimed her son took her life because of the constant bullying. According to the mom, the boy mentioned an unspecified incident in a bathroom last week which left him too afraid to go to school. “He was my little boy. He was my baby. He was the youngest one,” she was quoted as saying by The Post.
Fernando Mendoza did not attend Indiana University’s visit to the White House commemorating the Hoosiers’ college football national championship on Monday. The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback said earlier this month that he would not attend if it interfered with any activities with his new team.
“I’m on the bottom of the totem pole here,” Mendoza said following a rookie minicamp practice. “I got to prove myself. I can’t miss practice. I don’t know anything official. I don’t have the calendar, but I just wouldn’t. As a rookie, I don’t think that’s a good look, and I want to try to best serve my teammates. And I don’t know if that’d be accomplishing that goal.”
According to the team’s official offseason schedule, the Raiders did not have any formal practices or workouts on Monday. The team’s next organized activity is May 18, its first OTA workout.
“Fernando couldn’t be here today because, as I said, he’s now a member of the Las Vegas Raiders,” President Donald Trump said in his address. “Let’s see how good of a team they have, and I think he’s gonna do great. He’s a winner.”
Mendoza wasn’t the only absence. Center Pat Coogan and cornerback D’Angelo Ponds were among the other Hoosiers not in attendance for the event due to NFL obligations. Indiana had a program-record eight players selected in April’s NFL Draft.
Trump highlighted Mendoza’s accomplishments and contributions to the school’s first football national title. He celebrated Mendoza as Indiana’s inaugural Heisman Trophy winner and praised his fourth-quarter touchdown run in the championship game against Miami.
“He’s gonna be a good one,” Trump said.
Indiana was well-represented by returning members of the team. Charlie Becker, one of Mendoza’s go-to receivers during the College Football Playoffs, and Jamari Sharpe, whose late interception secured the title-game victory, both spoke on behalf of the school, as did head coach Curt Cignetti.
Mendoza is one of four members of the national champion Hoosiers who joined the Raiders this offseason. Running back Roman Hemby and wide receiver E.J. Williams Jr. signed as undrafted free agents in the days following the draft. Wide receiver Jonathan Brady earned a contract after impressing as a tryout player during rookie minicamp.
MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — Police are investigating a triple shooting that took place on Muncie’s south side Sunday evening that left a woman dead and two men injured.
According to police, at approximately 5:27 p.m., Muncie Police Officers were dispatched to the 2700 block of South Walnut Street in reference to reports of several people being shot.
Officers arrived and located three gunshot victims: A 23-year-old female who died from “multiple wounds,” a 39-year-old male who is hospitalized in stable condition, and a 40-year-old male who was airlifted to an Indianapolis hospital in critical condition.
Police say a suspect is in custody, a 21-year-old man.
Police did not provide any additional information.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Muncie Police Detective Division at 765-747-4867 or dispatch at 765-747-4838.
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Sports Seriously
The Indiana Pacers lost 63 games this season for a chance at a franchise-changing lottery pick. On Sunday, May 10, they lost that chance, too.
All Pacers president Kevin Pritchard could do was apologize for taking the risk.
Indiana’s pick landed at No. 5 in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery, one spot outside the top four protections attached to a midseason trade. The selection now belongs to the Los Angeles Clippers .
Shortly after the results were announced, Pritchard took social media and apologized.
“I’m really sorry to all our fans,” Pritchard wrote. “I own taking this risk. Surprised it came up 5th after this year. I thought we were due some luck.”
The Pacers entered the lottery with a 52.1% chance of securing a top-four pick after finishing 19-63, the second-worst record in the NBA. It wasn’t enough.
Indiana sent Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 first-round pick to Los Angeles in the midseason deal for Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown, along with the conditional 2026 first-rounder. The pick was theirs to keep only if it landed in the top four.
Zubac appeared in just five games for Indiana after the trade because of a fractured rib.
“This team deserved a starting center to compete with the best teams next year,” Pritchard wrote. “We have always been resillient.”
Pritchard will have to be resilient if he looks at the replies to his statement. About half of the Pacers fans’ comments were not happy, and fans of other teams called him out for “tanking.”
There were also a large number of fans who were supportive of Pritchard taking that risk.
Tyrese Haliburton is expected to return next season after tearing his Achilles in last year’s NBA Finals. The Pacers will have him Pascal Siakam and a roster they think is built to compete. They just won’t have that first-round pick to add to it.
The 2026 NBA Draft begins June 23 in Brooklyn.
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