The Portsmouth School Committee voted 6-0 to not re-appoint high school football coach Ryan Moniz for the 2018-19 season on the recommendation of attorney Matthew Oliverio at its meeting on Tuesday night.

The meeting room was packed with residents, some forced to stand in the hallway, as they listened to school committee lawyer Mary Ann Carroll read Mr. Oliverio’s executive summary of the report involving the suicide of Portsmouth High School sophomore Nathan Bruno, who played on the football team his freshman year, but did not play last year.

The report stated that Bruno, a sophomore, died on Feb. 7 after Mr. Moniz, 39, pressured the student, who had admitted sending prank text messages and making crank phone calls to the coach.

“The father (Rick Bruno) had attempted to set up a meeting for the son to apologize and take responsibility for his actions,” said Portsmouth School Committee Chair Terri Cortvriend on Wednesday morning, the day after the meeting. “The coach said no, he was not going to meet with him and not accept the apology, unless the son gave up the other two members of the football team who were involved.”

“The school committee saw that as a refusal to accept Nathan’s apology,” said Ms. Cortvriend.

Mr. Moniz also said to Mr. Bruno during a phone call, “I’m sorry to put him (Nathan) on the clock.”

“The school committee felt that those words were inappropriate,” said Ms. Cortvriend.

The report also said that Mr. Moniz, who has coached the high school football team for the last eight seasons, called a team meeting on Feb. 6, and told the players about the situation. He threatened to resign unless the players got involved, the report said.

“The coach called a team meeting and put it in the team’s lap and said you guys have to fix this or I’m quitting,” said Ms. Cortvriend. “The school committee felt that it was inappropriate that the coach laid it in the lap of his school age team members. That was inappropriate.”

“It was about those two key points in the report ,” Ms. Cortvriend said, as to the reason that they voted not to re-appoint the coach.

Thirty-six residents signed up to speak at the meeting.

“About a third of the people voiced their concerns for bullying and also spoke in favor of the Bruno family,” said Ms. Cortvriend. “They were not in favor of the coach and they expressed those concerns.”

She added that other people at the meeting spoke out in support of Mr. Moniz and had positive things to say about the coach.

“There were no winners last night,” Ms. Cortvriend said. “Most of the students who spoke were very respectful towards the Bruno family.”

“I’m very sad for the Bruno family,” she said.

An attempt to reach Rick Bruno was made, but he did not return a call by deadline.