KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is working to revoke the license of a youth home in Kalamazoo after a teen died while being “wrongly restrained” by staff.
16-year-old Cornelius Fredrick went into cardiac arrest and passed away on May 1st, just two days after he was restrained for reportedly throwing a sandwich at Lakeside Academy.
Lakeside, located on Oakland Drive, north of West Kilgore Road, is a youth residential treatment facility that works with the state to help youth who were placed through the abuse/neglect or juvenile justice foster care system or recommended by their parents to receive behavioral health services.
The state has already suspended Lakeside’s license which means the facility cannot house any children. All 125 youths from the home have already been removed and placed in other appropriate settings.
An investigation after Fredrick’s death showed 10 other licensing violations at the facility, including a failure to follow rules related to resident restraint and discipline.
The state is now looking into shutting down Lakeside Academy permanently. Lakeside may also appeal the recommendation to the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules.
The department adds that it is also now issuing new rules to all child care facilities that ban the use of physical restraints.
Executive director of the MDHHS Children’s Services Agency JooYeun Chang said in a written statement, “MDHHS continues to mourn the loss of this young man’s life, which came needlessly to an end at the hands of those meant to care for him. We are committed to protecting children and will not accept the completely unnecessary death of a youth who is deprived of the opportunity to grow up, complete his education, begin a career, and start a family. Not only is it critical that we hold the agency accountable – we must also improve our policies and practices so that a tragedy like this never happens again.”
“The Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office thanks MDHHS and its licensing division for completing thorough investigations that will aid our office in determining appropriate charges in this tragic case,” said Kalamazoo County Prosecuting Attorney Jeffrey Getting.
More on the investigation can be found here.
