A 10-year-old boy in Indiana committed suicide after being bullied for two years. His parents claim that despite contacting school authorities 20 times in one year, the school failed to stop it.
Sammy Toish, 10, of Greenfield, Indiana, died by suicide on Sunday, May 5, according to an interview with his parents, Sam and Nicole Toish. 13 News WTHR. They claim Sammy, one of four siblings, committed suicide after enduring continuous bullying. The bullying became increasingly physical and Greenfield Secondary School did little to address it.
Sammy’s parents said in an interview that the bullying started two years ago in elementary school with verbal abuse and then escalated to physical assault. The parents submitted several photos showing bruises as evidence of the alleged assault. “At first they were making fun of his glasses, and then they started making fun of his teeth. It went on for a long time…He got hit on the school bus, and the kids started making fun of his glasses. and everything else,” the father said. according to to the New York Post.
Sam Toish claims he contacted his son’s school 20 times in the last year about the ongoing abuse, but no effective action was taken. “I called the school and said, ‘What are we going to do about this? Superintendent Dr. Harold Olin insisted that “no bullying report was ever filed” when 13 News contacted the school about the allegations, but his father insisted: They knew this was happening. ” (Related: Teachers union: President Trump is responsible for school bullying)
According to an article in a local publication, the Teusch family has received strong support from the local community during their time of grief. daily reporter. “The last couple of days, we’ve had probably 1,000 people here, and I think I know about 20 of them… A guy so big he could barely fit through that door came in here and just shot me in the face. He was crying, and he said, ‘That was the biggest hug I’ve ever had.’
More than 100 motorbikes turned up this morning to escort the body of 10-year-old Sammy Toish to Greenfield Cemetery. Sammy committed suicide last week after being relentlessly bullied, according to his family. Tonight we pay a special tribute. @wthrcom pic.twitter.com/DZQwuBpXEj
— Chase Hall (@chase_houletv) May 15, 2024
Dozens of tributes to Sammy were left on a tree in the family’s front yard, and the boy’s funeral at Brandywine Community Church in Greenfield was attended by local Freedom Riders and others who offered to help. Hundreds of people attended, including members of the Christian Motorcycle Club. post WTHR porter Chase Houle posted on Twitter.
