Indiana
10-Year-Old Boy Dies By Suicide After 'Horrific Bullying' At School, Parents Say They Raised Alarm 20 Times – News18
Last Updated:
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.
Indiana
IU trip to Bahamas will reveal a lot about Hoosiers, who can’t come home empty-handed
BLOOMINGTON – Indiana heads to The Bahamas this week with plenty to gain — and plenty to prove.
The Hoosiers placed virtually all their nonconference emphasis on their first-ever trip to Battle 4 Atlantis, and they cannot afford to come home without some quality wins pocketed from a Thanksgiving spent on Paradise Island.
What makes this a successful holiday tournament trip? Five thoughts …
Greater consistency
Through four wins in four games, we’ve seen the idea of Indiana burst through the clouds. Stretches when the Hoosiers’ array of talent and experience makes them virtually unplayable at both ends of the floor, when even a high-major opponent like South Carolina looked simply overwhelmed.
We haven’t seen it often enough, though.
In a way, that’s fine. No basketball team should be fully formed in November. Anyone playing their best right now is in big trouble come March.
But IU needs it this week. A reasonable path through this tournament will see games against top-50 competition at least once, probably multiple times. That means opportunity, but it also means the hot-and-cold performances thus far need to be smoothed over a little more. Those windows into what Indiana can be need to open a little wider this week.
Point guard play
Myles Rice has been outstanding through these first four games. Trey Galloway has had moments, as he continues his steady progress back to full fitness following offseason knee surgery. Indiana will need their best this week.
In settings like these, players with their creativity and experience, are crucial. Sightlines are weird. The whole environment can make shooting difficult. The teams that can force the ball to the rim and either finish or draw fouls (or both) have an added advantage.
The axiom in basketball that guards win games generally always applies. But in neutral venues, when certain elements of a team’s offense might be stunted, the ability to force action and either score or create moving downhill — something both Galloway and Rice have shown proficiency in doing — becomes invaluable. Both players must deliver in The Bahamas.
Rebound the ball
It was too often a problem last season, and it’s been too often a problem this season.
Yes, Indiana is playing smaller. And yes, games like UNC Greensboro can go a little sideways in this department when an overmatched opponent chucks and chases because it knows there’s little point in trying to attack the rim.
But a team with IU’s size and athleticism cannot be a sub-200 team in opponent offensive rebound rate. The Hoosiers cannot afford to be so poor in closing out possessions. This team will undermine its offensive improvement and its athletic advantages if it continues to be so poor on the glass.
Indiana doesn’t need to be (and probably won’t ever be) dominant here. That’s not how the Hoosiers are constructed. But they are and must be better than they’ve been so far in this area, and three games in three days against demanding competition will require immediate improvement.
Mackenzie Mgbako’s continued growth
Indiana’s leading scorer had his quietest game of the season Thursday, scoring just nine points on 2-of-11 shooting and seeing his second-half playing time eaten into by Bryson Tucker’s bench performance. Everyone’s allowed a bad day at the office.
But Mgbako would do well to ensure he leaves those at home this week. IU’s most dynamic offensive player early in the season, Mgbako has flashed three-level scoring potential the likes of which few players with his size and athleticism can claim.
Few teams, even good ones, have adequate cover for a 6-8 wing who can shoot from multiple levels and finish around the rim the way Mgbako does. Couple that to improved rebounding and defense, and when he’s on, Mgbako is perhaps this team’s biggest individual game changer.
A microcosm of his team’s task this time of year, Mgbako needs to strive for consistency in those areas. Make the off nights few and far between. Find ways to impact games in multiple ways, and shift the way he scores to suit what his opponent struggles against.
This week is a good test for Indiana, and it’s certainly a good test for Mackenzie Mgbako. Both will get a better look at their ceiling in Atlantis.
Quality wins
It’s the simplest and most important storyline following Indiana to the islands.
The Hoosiers put all their faith in this tournament, in terms of being able to add quality to their NCAA tournament in nonconference play. Barring a surprise breakout from South Carolina, IU isn’t likely to beat anyone of meaning from a NET perspective anywhere but in Atlantis.
That represents a calculated gamble for Mike Woodson, whose program learned the hard way how far behind the eight ball an empty-calorie nonconference resume can set a team from an NCAA tournament perspective. The Hoosiers cannot repeat that this year.
Which means they need to make hay in the sunshine in Atlantis. Louisville might stand up as a decent win, somewhere between Quads 1 and 2. Gonzaga and/or Arizona would be worthwhile scalps. Oklahoma, Providence and West Virginia all might be in time.
Whatever its performances, Indiana needs to leave The Bahamas with some wins, or it will leave itself with a lot to do in conference play to ensure Selection Sunday isn’t a stressful experience.
Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Indiana
Where is Indiana basketball ranked going into the Battle 4 Atlantis?
BLOOMINGTON — Indiana basketball heads to the Bahamas as a top 15 team.
The undefeated Hoosiers (4-0; 0-0) jumped three spots in the latest USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll to No. 15 and two spots in the latest AP Poll to No. 14. They spent nine weeks ranked in the top 15 of the AP Poll during the 2022-23 season.
Indiana will compete in the Battle 4 Atlantis this week starting with a game at noon on Wednesday against Louisville. No. 4 Gonzaga and West Virginia are on the same side of the bracket and No. 23 Arizona is also among the teams in the field.
The tournament is IU’s only chance to pick up any wins away from Assembly Hall during its non-conference schedule.
Indiana beat Louisville, 74-66, in last year’s Empire Classic. The Cardinals parted ways with Kenny Payne and hired Pat Kelsey as his replacement. They head into the event 3-1 this season — they suffered a 22-point loss to a Tennessee team that IU defeated in a pre-season exhibition — without a single returning player in their starting lineup.
The Hoosiers have won all four of their games by double-digits and averaging more than 80 points per game with four of their five starters — Mackenzie Mgbako (18.8 points per game), Myles Rice (14.8), Malik Reneau (13.5 points) and Oumar Ballo — averaging in the double-digits.
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
Indiana
How to Watch: Louisville Cardinals vs. Indiana Hoosiers
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Following a four-game home stand to open up the 2024-25 season, the Louisville men’s basketball program is heading back to The Bahamas to participate in the Battle 4 Atlantis, and will kick off the event against regional rival Indiana.
The Pat Kelsey era of the Cardinals is off to solid start, although they have played imperfect basketball during their 3-1 start to the season. They’re averaging 81.0 points per game and have a 18.3 scoring margin, but have shot just 29.4 percent from deep on the year, and lost by 22 to Tennessee in their lone game vs. a power conference team.
As for the Hoosiers, they’re off to an undefeated start in year four under head coach Mike Woodson. All of their games have been won by at least double figures, including an 87-71 victory over South Carolina. Mackenzie Mgbako is leading the charge for IU with 18.8 points per game.
This will be the 22nd all-time regular season meeting between Louisville and Indiana, with the Hoosiers owning a 12-9 advantage. IU has won the last two matchups against UofL, including a 74-66 decision back on Nov. 20, 2023 in their last matchup in the Empire Classic.
(Photo of Chucky Hepburn: Jamie Rhodes – Imagn Images)
You can follow Louisville Cardinals On SI for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram:
Facebook – @LouisvilleOnSI
Twitter/X – @LouisvilleOnSI
Instagram – @louisvilleonsi
You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter/X
-
Business1 week ago
Column: Molly White's message for journalists going freelance — be ready for the pitfalls
-
Science6 days ago
Trump nominates Dr. Oz to head Medicare and Medicaid and help take on 'illness industrial complex'
-
Politics1 week ago
Trump taps FCC member Brendan Carr to lead agency: 'Warrior for Free Speech'
-
Technology1 week ago
Inside Elon Musk’s messy breakup with OpenAI
-
Lifestyle1 week ago
Some in the U.S. farm industry are alarmed by Trump's embrace of RFK Jr. and tariffs
-
World1 week ago
Protesters in Slovakia rally against Robert Fico’s populist government
-
Health3 days ago
Holiday gatherings can lead to stress eating: Try these 5 tips to control it
-
News1 week ago
They disagree about a lot, but these singers figure out how to stay in harmony