Parents of 10-Year-Old Boy Who Died by Suicide After Being Bullied File Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against School District

• The parents of 10-year-old Sammy Teusch — who died by suicide in May after being bullied — are suing his school district
• The Indiana fourth-grader died on Sunday, May 5, after his brother Xander, 13, found him unresponsive in his bedroom that morning
• The lawsuit alleges that Sammy’s complaints about being bullied “fell upon deaf ears” at school and his parents had made “approximately 20 reports” to his teachers

The parents of a 10-year-old Indiana fourth-grader who died by suicide have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against his school district.

 Sammy Teusch died on Sunday, May 5, after his brother Xander, 13, found him unresponsive in his bedroom that morning, PEOPLE previously reported.

An investigation has since confirmed “there was some bullying taking place” in Sammy’s life, both in and out of school, before the child’s “traumatic” death, according to a news release issued by Greenfield Police Chief Brian Hartman on May 31.

On Tuesday, Dec. 17, Sammy’s parents — Samuel “Sam” Teusch and Nicole “Nicci” Teusch — filed a complaint against the Greenfield-Central Community School Corporation and its governing body, the Greenfield-Central Community School Corporation Board of Trustees, in Hancock County Circuit Court, per documents obtained by PEOPLE.

The suit alleges that staff members “did nothing to address” Sammy’s bullying despite being “repeatedly informed” about it, and “as a direct and proximate result of the District’s and these individuals’ gross dereliction of arguably their most important duty, Sammy took his own life on May 5, 2024.” The complaint mentions multiple people, including Greenfield-Central Schools superintendent Harold Olin, by name. Sammy’s parents are also accusing the school of negligent care and supervision.

“Sammy’s repeated complaints to his teacher fell upon deaf ears,’ the 14-page complaint claims. “Sammy’s frustration grew to the point that he would flip his desk over in an attempt to draw his teacher’s attention to the bullying to which he was being subjected.”

“When that cry for help did not work, Sammy would attempt to hide in a closet or under his desk. His teacher’s only response was to discipline Sammy for what she perceived to be disruptive conduct,” the suit added.

The complaint includes images and information of the “physical abuse” Sammy had endured, as well as alleging that a female student and “other girls” had “told Sammy to hang himself.” The same female student also allegedly took a photo of Sammy’s open casket at his funeral and was later seen laughing at her phone, according to the complaint.

One incident mentioned in the suit claims Sammy had been “physically assaulted on the school bus” and had suffered “pain and facial swelling” after being “punched in the face.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

He’d also allegedly “suffered a black eye” and neck and shoulder injuries after being hit on the head with his iPad on the bus by another student, per the suit.

According to the complaint, Sammy’s parents had made “approximately 20 reports” about the bullying to the school before his death.

“He was a smart, funny and loving boy, who loved to fish, play with robots, play soccer, be outdoors, and lead his family around to gather up trash whenever they went to the beach or on a nature hike. Sammy was quick to make friends, knew no stranger, meant no harm to anyone, never sat still, and had the biggest heart along with the best smile,” the suit reads.

Per the complaint, Sammy’s parents are requesting a jury trial against the defendants.

Greenfield-Central Schools superintendent Harold Olin said in an email to PEOPLE when asked about the lawsuit, “We have no new comment or statement to share at this time.”

Sammy and his family moved to Greenfield from Pensacola, Fla. in 2022, and his father Sam previously told PEOPLE it was not long before the bullying began.

Sam told PEOPLE in May that Sammy’s death “can’t be fixed,” adding, “So I have to create something to fix it for others.”

He’s been asking people to sign a petition urging Congress to take up legislation to curb bullying nationwide. The petition has so far received over 34,500 signatures.

Sam said at the time that he was struggling to push past the sadness of his son’s death to be “positive and loving and kind.”

“How do you do that in a situation like this?” he told PEOPLE. “This is never, ever, ever, ever going to be positive. Never. There is nothing positive about this … There is no positive out of this unless we make it.”

Greenfield-Central Community School Board did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.