Providence, RI — A Rhode Island jury has awarded $5.4 million to the family of a 15-year-old boy who died by suicide after his high school football coach allegedly exerted pressure on him to disclose the identities of students involved in sending the coach harassing messages. The verdict, delivered this week, concluded that the actions of the coach at Portsmouth High School contributed significantly to the teenager’s tragic death in 2018.
The legal representatives for Nathan Bruno’s family argued that Ryan Moniz, the football coach at the time, not only demanded that Nathan disclose the names but also enlisted other players to pressure him, exacerbating the teen’s distress. These allegations were compounded by claims that Moniz and several school administrators failed to communicate with Nathan’s parents regarding a police investigation that involved him and made unnoted changes to his class assignments.
Further igniting the controversy, testimony during the trial revealed that a local police detective improperly shared confidential information about Nathan with Moniz, a disclosure that found the detective and several school leaders guilty of negligence. However, they were not deemed responsible for the teen’s death.
In response to this heart-wrenching event, Portsmouth’s School Committee removed Moniz from his coaching position, although he remains listed as a teacher on the district’s website. Subsequent to the tragedy, Rhode Island legislators enacted a law named after Nathan Bruno in 2021, mandating that all public school districts adopt suicide prevention policies and ensure that school personnel are trained in suicide awareness and prevention.
The jury’s award of $3.1 million — a sum that has accrued interest bringing the total to $5.4 million since Nathan’s death — reflects a significant recognition of the lasting impact of negligence and misconduct by school officials on student welfare.
Legal professionals involved expressed a mix of respect for the judicial process and anticipation of potential appeals. There was recognition of the complex legal challenges inherent in attributing legal responsibility for someone’s suicide, highlighting ongoing fundamental issues that might reach the Rhode Island Supreme Court.
Despite the jury’s decision against them, representatives for the defendants involved, who were found negligent but not directly responsible for the suicide, expressed relief that their clients were not held liable for the actual death. They voiced their commitment to addressing the findings of negligence as the legal processes continue.
This case underlines the critical responsibilities educators and school authorities carry in safeguarding the mental and emotional well-being of their students and raises vital questions about the extent of their influence and accountability.
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