A fourth person was charged with negligence for allegedly failing to seek adequate medical care for the teenager.
Cornelius Fredericks was staying at Lakeside Academy, a residential treatment center in Kalamazoo for young adults ages 12-18 placed through the foster care system or by their parents for behavioral health services.
Kalamazoo County District Attorney Jeff Getting announced the charges Wednesday during a press conference.
The three accused staff members had held Fredericks on his torso, causing his death, Getting said.
CNN has repeatedly contacted the Getting office to obtain the names of the defendants, the defendants’ attorneys, and more details about the case.
What the lawsuit says happened
On April 29, Fredericks allegedly threw part of a sandwich at another resident, and Lakeside staff used an “improper restraint” on him, resulting in cardiac arrest, according to the lawsuit. Two days later, on May 1, Fredericks died, according to the lawsuit.
Tenia Goshay, who represents Fredericks’ estate, is seeking $ 100 million in damages, attorney Jonathan Marko told CNN.
After Fredericks’ death, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) launched an investigation into the facility. In the full report provided to CNN, officials said staff initiated a restriction that was “significantly disproportionate” to Fredericks’ behavior, and the facility did not continue. your own restriction policy.
Since then, MDHHS has terminated all contracts with Lakeside and has begun the legal process to revoke his license, according to an agency press release. At the time of the investigation, MDHHS found “10 license violations, including noncompliance with rules related to restriction and discipline of residents,” the press release said.
In a statement to CNN, Sequel Youth & Family Services, the owner of Lakeside Academy, said, “It is making the necessary changes to ensure that something like this never happens again.”
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Cornelius and we acted quickly to fire all involved personnel. In addition, we have removed the former Lakeside CEO of the organization,” the statement read.
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