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The parents of a 10-year-old boy, Sammy Tusha, who committed suicide in May of this year after being severely bullied by his peers at school, have filed a lawsuit against the school district. They accuse the administration of covering up bullying complaints and ignoring their requests for help.

According to the lawsuit, Sammy’s classmates teased him, calling him “Dahmer” because of his resemblance to serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. When the boy complained to the teacher, he reportedly replied: “Yes, he does look a bit like him.”

“Sammy told me this a million times: ‘Dad, they don’t listen to me at school. They just don’t listen,” said the boy’s father, Sam Tush.

Ignoring complaints

The lawsuit alleges that teachers and staff at Weston Elementary in Greenfield, Indiana, turned a blind eye to bullying that included both verbal and physical attacks. One day, a classmate hit Sammy with a tablet, breaking his glasses and causing an eye injury. However, instead of punishing the culprit, the boy himself was punished – he was removed from the school bus.

“From that moment on, he stopped telling us what was happening. He was afraid that he would be punished again,” the father added.

Parents have repeatedly appealed to the school administration with requests to protect their son. However, according to them, not a single official complaint was recorded, despite assurances from employees that the situation would be resolved. Other parents also reported their children being bullied, but their complaints went unheeded.

Culture of inaction

The Tush family believes Sammy’s tragedy is the result of a culture of impunity and fear of punishing aggressors. “Teachers are afraid to punish bullies, and parents remain in the dark. We have to change this,” the father said.

The lawsuit says bullying has become the second leading cause of death among children 10-14 years old, according to the CDC.

After the death of their son, the family created the Sammy’s Tree Foundation, which supports victims of bullying. Parents also advise the creators of the film about Sammy. However, according to the father, society does not discuss the problem openly enough: “Social networks block even mention of the word ‘suicide’. We must acknowledge the problem, not sweep it under the rug.”

The lawsuit was filed against the Greenfield-Central Community School Corporation in Hancock County Court.

Previously, Kursor wrote that in Beersheba a girl was severely beaten by a group of teenagers, video.