PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (WPRI) — A jury has reached a verdict in the negligence case stemming from the suicide of a Portsmouth High School teenager nearly seven years ago. Nathan "Nate" Bruno, 15, died by suicide on Feb. 7, 2018. The following year, his father, Rick Bruno, filed a lawsuit against school officials, alleging that their actions not only contributed to Nathan's death, but also caused significant pain and suffering in the months leading up to it. On Wednesday, the jury ruled in favor of the Bruno family, awarding them $5.4 million in damages. The jury found the former principal, acting principal and athletic director negligent, with former football coach Ryan Moniz deemed the proximate cause of Nathan's death. Rick Bruno expressed that the verdict lifted a weight off his shoulders, allowing him to begin the process of healing. "It took a lot of time, prayer and contemplation to decide if I would move forward with a lawsuit," he said. "I was actually really hoping that it wouldn't come to that. So, when the verdict was reached on Wednesday, the first thing I saw was just a relief." BACKGROUND: Parents of Portsmouth teen who committed suicide file lawsuit against school, coach 12 News also received a statement from the town's defense attorney, Marc DeSisto. "We have tremendous respect and admiration for Judge Licht and for the jury system, however there are fundamental legal issues still pending in the Superior Court and potentially in the Rhode Island Supreme Court impacting the determination of whether someone should be held responsible for the suicide of another," DeSisto told 12 News on Friday. "We will not comment any further until those issues are finally decided." Prank calls and messages A memorandum filed by the plaintiffs alleges that tension began after Moniz started receiving prank texts and calls from a group of students that included Nathan Bruno. Nathan, who had quit the football team after his freshman year, had reportedly felt ostracized by Moniz, who allegedly urged players to avoid him and called him names, according to the filing. Nate Bruno On Feb. 6, 2018, Moniz had then-principal Joseph Amaral pull Nathan from class to demand the names of other students involved in the prank messages, the memorandum says. Nathan confided to a friend afterward that Amaral "flipped out" and yelled at him. Later that day, Moniz reportedly stood behind Nathan in the cafeteria, where he was sitting with friends from the football team, and glared at his players, prompting them to leave the table. One friend described Nathan as experiencing an "emotional heart attack." According to the memorandum, Moniz pressured players at a Feb. 6 team meeting to identify others involved, threatening to resign if they didn't comply. Immediately afterward, two players came forward admitting they were the ones involved, but Moniz did not believe them and insisted that others were involved. Three teammates visited Nathan's home to tell him that the coach might quit unless he revealed the other participants' identities. Rick Bruno told 12 News that his son accepted responsibility for his actions, but didn’t want his friends to face consequences. While he said Moniz originally agreed to meet with Nathan in person to accept his apology, the coach later contacted Rick and refused to meet unless Nathan disclosed more names. The next day, the 15-year-old died by suicide. Allegations against administrators The memorandum says that after learning of the prank calls and texts as early as December 2017, the vice principals and school resource officer (SRO) negligently assisted Moniz in an investigation. Rather than filing a report, the SRO told Moniz to contact the police. Once Nathan was determined to be responsible, Moniz pressed charges and requested to remove Nathan from his gym class. School administrators allegedly allowed Moniz to pursue these disciplinary actions without notifying Nathan's father or guidance counselor. The memorandum also points to Moniz’s earlier interactions with Nathan, which included reporting him for skipping school and smoking marijuana. "He thought Ryan Moniz was not treating him right in bullying him,” one of Nathan's friends explained. "It’s my belief that my son died in despair and hopelessness over a situation that could have been handled differently by school staff," Rick Bruno said during his testimony at the State House. "It is tragically ironic that the Portsmouth defendant educators here engaged in precisely the kind of improper conduct the statute was intended to prevent. The bullying, intimidating, and threatening actions of the defendant football coach, athletic director, and principal, along with the inaction and failures of administrators to support Nathan’s mental and emotional well-being, are clear breaches of the duties imposed by the Safe School Act and its implementing regulations. Moreover, while Nathan was being subjected to pressures exerted by defendants, especially Moniz, Nathan’s parents and guidance counselors – the very people who could have and would have supported Nathan’s emotional well-being – were left in the dark," the memorandum read. In June 2019, a 118-page report was released detailing the events leading up to Nathan's death. Shortly after, the Portsmouth School Committee unanimously voted to remove football coach Ryan Moniz based on the report's findings. "Although Coach Moniz professes that no one is at fault, nor could anyone have foreseen these tragic consequences, it cannot be overemphasized that Coach Moniz was cognizant of the influence he had over [Bruno] and the pressure that would befall him," the report read. BACKGROUND: Portsmouth football coach removed amid suicide probe According to Rick Bruno, Nathan was never diagnosed with anxiety, depression, or suicidal ideation. In the wake of his son's death, Bruno sought justice for his son and has become an outspoken advocate for suicide awareness. "Loss of friendship, threatened loss of friendship with peers, accumulated pressure to be disloyal to friends and rat them out, and the weight of the coach quitting," Bruno said, reflecting on how his son must have been feeling. "To walk into an unsafe school environment where maybe there won't be any football and it's all your fault — what will your friends think? What will your peers think?" Nathan's classmates formed the nonprofit "Be Great For Nate" to promote mental health and support students facing similar challenges. With help from Rick and Nathan's former boss, Steven Peterson, the organization launched its first program, the "Every Student Initiative," which focuses on supporting students with mental health challenges and training educators to better assist them. In 2020, the student-led group successfully advocated for the Nathan Bruno and Jason Flatt Act in Nathan's honor, which Gov. Dan McKee signed into law in 2021. The law requires annual suicide awareness and prevention training for teachers, students, and all school personnel across the state and establishes a conflict-resolution process between faculty and students. "The loss of Nathan will always be with me," Rick Bruno said. "But just to move forward and try to enjoy life to the fullest, without the weight of this on my back anymore, is what I'm looking forward to." MORE: Tragedy sparks law for mental health awareness If you or someone you know is in crisis, seek immediate help: Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call, text or chat 988BH Link: Rhode Islanders can call 401-414-LINK (5465)Kids' Link RI: Parents can call 1-855-543-5465 Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News SIGN UP NOW