Michigan department announces child care reforms after death
Lakeside Academy in Kalamazoo has since lost its contract with the state to care for youth in the stateโs foster care and juvenile justice systems and had its license to operate suspended. Three former Lakeside Academy staff members face charges of involuntary manslaughter and second-degree child abuse in Fredericks' death. โWhen a child does come into care, we need to make that care as family-like as possible. Lakeside Academy had a series of violations of previous restraint rules, MDHHS Childrenโs Services Agency Executive Director JooYeun Chang said. Chang said following Fredericks' death, the department did a review of every licensed child care facility and looked to see how many in the past two years had even one serious safety incident or repeated safety incidents, with 76 facilities marked and given new guidance and assistance.
Partial video released in teenagerโs Kalamazoo youth center death
KALAMAZOO, Mich. โ A partial video has been released in the death of a teenager who was restrained because he supposedly threw a sandwich at a youth center in Kalamazoo. Cornelius Frederick died last month after being restrained at the Lakeside For Children facility in Kalamazoo. The video shows staff members piling on the 16-year-old. It shows Corneliusโ body being left on the floor. A staff nurse was near the incident, and video shows she didnโt come to Corneliusโ aid.
Medical examiner rules Michigan teenโs death homicide, 3 charged
Cornelius Fredericks, 16, died May 1, two days after he lost consciousness while being restrained by staff at Lakeside Academy. The Kalamazoo County Medical Examinerโs office confirmed Fredericksโ manner and cause of death was a homicide. Getting, who called Fredericksโ death a โtragedy beyond description,โ said the accused employees are expected to turn themselves in for arraignment but didnโt say when that would happen. Sequel said it fired the three workers involved in Fredericks' death and relieved the executive director of Lakeside Academy of his duties. Earlier Wednesday, attorney Geoffrey Fieger, who represents Fredericksโ family, called for charges to be filed in the teenโs death.
Lawsuit: Teen screamed โI canโt breatheโ during restraint at Michigan youth facility
The lawsuit filed in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court names Lakeside Academy in Kalamazoo and Sequel Youth and Family Services as defendants. โVideo from Lakeside Academy even shows a staff member placing his/her weight directly on Corneliusโs chest for nearly ten minutes as Cornelius lost consciousness,โ the lawsuit states. The Associated Press left a message Monday seeking comment from Lakeside Academy. Fredericks had been at Lakeside Academy about two years, Goshay told reporters. Gretchen Whitmer has told the department to cut ties with Sequel Youth and Family Services, which provided staffing to Lakeside Academy.