Cornelius Fredericks was a 16-year-old Black man who was restrained and killed by staff at his Michigan school on May 1, 2020.
Fredricks lived at Lakeside Academy, along with 125 other kids in Kalamazoo, Michigan. According to the school’s website, “Lakeside Academy focuses on the confrontation and redirection of negative behavior while recognizing desired, positive behavior.”
On April 29, Fredericks allegedly threw a sandwich at another resident. Staff members Michael Mosley, Zachary Solis, and Heather McLogan restrained Fredricks and pinned him against the ground. Frederichs suffocated and later died; his killers were charged with second-degree child abuse and manslaughter.
According to reports, there was at least one staff member sitting on Fredericks’ chest for twelve minutes. It took an additional twelve minutes for medical attention to be sought for Fredericks and for CPR to be administered.
Paramedics arrived at Lakeside Academy and found Fredericks unresponsive. He was then transported to Bronson Methodist Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead from cardiac arrest.
On Monday, Fredericks’ family filed a civil rights lawsuit for $100 million and demanded justice from Lakeside Academy. Lakeside Academy has not cooperated and has not provided adequate documentation of the homicide that took place on its campus.
A Michigan family has filed a-hundred-million dollar lawsuit – following a death that attorneys compare with George Floyd’s.
They say a 16-year-old boy died a day after he was restrained at a youth care facility in Kalamazzoo. pic.twitter.com/Z5esHsQmRt
— Sierra Searcy (@SierraSearcyTV) June 23, 2020
Jon Marko, representing the family, stated that the manner of Fredericks’ death “appears similar to how George Floyd was murdered.” Both victims, unarmed men, expressed their inability to breathe, yet neither were given access to oxygen, while they were being restrained.
Say his name !! #CorneliusFredericks pic.twitter.com/xHs7bVp8G3
— Adebabyy (@_ade_baby_) June 23, 2020
The Lakeside Academy, under the parent company Sequel Youth and Family services, had thirty violations investigated by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHSS) since 2016. Although unclear whether all thirty were restraints, such a high volume of violations at a children’s facility, should have been an issue addressed long ago.
Lakeside Academy’s license has since been suspended, and the remaining residents were relocated as the investigation developed.
this is #CorneliusFredericks he was 16 years old. he was killed while in a behavioral facility after a worker put their weight on his chest for 10 minutes. his last words were “I can’t breathe.” up until 5 mins ago i hadn’t seen this on my TL. pic.twitter.com/8HCD40f1cP
— anne (@annesedgley_) June 23, 2020
