We must do more and pass this law. We are either part of the solution or part of the problem.”

Marcus Evans, PHS junior and member of Every Student Initiative

PORTSMOUTH — Marcus Evans had no intention of giving up on a piece of legislation he and others believe will save lives.

Two years ago, as a Portsmouth High School freshman, he sat before a roomful of lawmakers at the Rhode Island State House, imploring them to approve a bill aimed at preventing another tragedy that struck this community on Feb. 7, 2018, when PHS student Nathan Bruno died by suicide at the age of 15.

“I joined (Every Student Initiative),” testified Marcus, referring to the student organization that advocates for more mental health resources in schools, “because i didn’t want anyone to feel the pain that everyone around me was feeling after Nathan's passing, and I truly believe that my generation could be the one to end suicide.”

That bill, known as the Nathan Bruno and Jason Flatt Act, received plenty of support but never made it to the governor’s desk in 2019 because a few key stakeholders, such as Rhode Island NEA, the Rhode Island School Superintendents Association and the ACLU, opposed some of its language. And last year, due to the pandemic, the bill languished.

But the legislation has since been retooled to address many of the concerns it raised, and now supporters believe it has a good shot at becoming law this year. The State Senate recently passed its version of the bill, sponsored by Sen. James A. Seveney (D-Dist. 11, Portsmouth, Bristol, Tiverton). A companion measure sponsored by Rep. Terri Cortvriend (D-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown) is now in the House of Representatives.

“The bill has been refined and improved upon after many meetings between the advocates and the stakeholders,” Rep. Cortvriend told the House Committee on Education during a remote hearing last week.

Marcus, now a junior, was back to testify as well.

“Unfortunately, since (2019) the issue has not gotten any better,” he told lawmakers, adding he knew Nathan and that he saw “firsthand how losing someone to suicide” impacts the surrounding community. 

“We must do more and pass this law. We are either part of the solution or part of the problem,” he said.

What’s in the bill

The bill would require all public school districts to adopt suicide prevention policies and train all personnel — including teachers, administration, custodians, lunch personnel, substitutes, nurses, coaches, and coaching staff, even if volunteers — in suicide awareness and prevention annually. The R.I. Department of Education (RIDE) would establish the guidelines for the training curriculum.

Part of the bill is modeled after a state law passed in Tennessee and 19 other states that was named after Jason Flatt, a 16-year-old from Nashville who took his own life. Jason’s father, Clark Flatt, testified in support of the measure last week.

“Nationally, suicide is the second-leading cause of death for young people ages 10 to 24,” said Mr. Flatt, president of The Jason Foundation. A youth behavioral student in Rhode Island, he noted, found that 14.7 percent of respondents said they’ve attempted suicide in the past 12 months.

“That’s 60 percent higher than the national norm,” said Mr. Flatt, adding that similar suicide prevention training measures that were made law under the Flatt bill have had results. 

“We’ve seen first hand how it’s changed lives and saved lives,” he said.

Rick Bruno, Nathan’s dad and the founder of Be Great for Nate (BG4N) — ESI falls under the nonprofit — said his son “died in despair due to a situation that could have been handled differently by school staff.”

When Nathan passed away on Feb. 7, 2018, Mr. Bruno said he had been notified only one week earlier “about an ongoing issue with school staff that had occurred outside of the school, but had been handled in school since approximately the end of December 2017. This issue involved a coach, school administration and outside law enforcement. Without my knowledge or involvement, the school held meetings with Nathan and made educational decisions, including schedule changes.”

As a direct result, he said, Nathan was “ostracized and bullied by his peers, without ever having a safety net implemented to protect his social-emotional wellbeing,” he said. During this period, Nathan received no check-ins from school counselors or social-emotional support staff, Mr. Bruno said.

“You may ask why he didn’t receive any support? Because the social-emotional support (staff) had no knowledge that Nathan was having any issues with other school staff or his peers,” Mr. Bruno said, adding that the legislation includes safeguards to ensure “that no student will ever be put in a similar situation again.”

Steven Peterson, executive director of BG4N, testified the bill doesn’t ask teachers to do more than they already are. “What it does do is provide teachers with the knowledge to know when to refer students to social-emotional support staff,” he said.

More students speak

In addition to Marcus, two other members of ESI testified in favor of the legislation last week. Anna Conheeny, a junior at PHS, said she is grateful for the support she’s received from BG4N, including her own training in suicide prevention under ESI.

“Being a teen is not easy in today’s world. We’re pulled in many different directions and expectations are high,” Anna said, adding that suicide rates and depression diagnoses are “rapidly” going up. “Listen to me. Listen to the youth. We are struggling and we need your help.”

Shea Rearick, a PHS senior and policy director for ESI, said the bill is timelier than ever due to a pandemic that has forced many teens into isolation, causing them emotional damage. “This past year has been a strange and difficult one for so many,” he said.

The committee also heard from a representative for the renowned documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, whose crew has filmed members of ESI for a series about mental health issues in America that PBS is expected to air in spring 2022.

“I wish I had an hour to tell you about these Portsmouth kids,” said Eric Ewers, whose brother, Chris, is the series’ co-director. “We interviewed about half a dozen Portsmouth teens for the film. They talked about Nate and their own mental health challenges because, through Nate, they recognized the need to talk. They want people to understand the warning signs that can lead people to suicide. With the toll that COVID has already taken on our children, this bill will no doubt save lives. Education and information is the key.” 

Several others testified in favor of the bill, and 73 written pieces of testimony — all in support of the legislation — were also received by the committee.

The only opposition heard on the bill last week came from Marc DeSisto of the Rhode Island Association for Justice, who objected to a clause that protects people from litigation unless there’s “willful or wanton” misconduct. “We feel that it undermines the intent of this great bill,” Mr. DeSisto said.

Rep. Joseph McNamara, committee chairman, told Mr. DeSisto that his “opposition, I believe, is self-evident.”