A 16-year-old Cornelius Fredericks in the care of a for-profit residential youth center in Kalamazoo reportedly died two days after employees put their full weight on his chest for nearly 10 minutes, according to attorneys for his family.
In a video obtained by attorneys representing Fredericks’ estate, one unidentified staff member at the facility was seen putting his full weight on Fredericks’ chest as he screamed.
Jon Marko, the family’s attorney said at least one staff member of Lakeside Academy sat directly on Frederick’s chest as he lost consciousness.
Marko revealed that an investigation into Fredericks’ death showed that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services terminated its contract with Lakeside Academy in June and the academy had at least 30 other violations over the past five years.
According to the lawsuit, under Sequel’s management, Lakeside Academy has been party to more than 30 state investigations over maintenance, staff qualifications, staff sufficiency, discipline, behavior management, and restraint since 2016.
