Cornelius Frederick/Photo courtesy of NBC News
The Estate of Cornelius Frederick has filed a lawsuit for wrongful death against Lakeside Academy after dying while in their custody.
When he was killed, Cornelius was a 16-year-old resident of the residential treatment facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
On April 20, 2020, Cornelius suffered a heart attack after being restrained by employees of the facility for throwing a sandwich. He died on May 1, 2020, in the hospital.
The Detroit News reported that his death led to criminal charges and the state terminating their contract with Lakeside Academy for juvenile justice and foster care purposes.
The staffers at the facility sat on Cornelius’ chest while he repeatedly said, “I can’t breathe.” The employees failed to render aid while he was left on the floor.
Last Thursday, attorney Geoffrey Fieger said Cornelius’ death was not an isolated incident.
“Torture was the method by which the children were supervised,” Fieger said in a statement. “This was not an isolated occurrence. It had happened dozens of times. Why did it take the killing of Cornelius to finally shut down this hell hole?”
The lawsuit filed by the teen’s estate asks for $50 million and alleges that the school and its management company violated his civil rights and caused his wrongful death by suffocating him with “deliberate indifference, willful wanton and malicious actions.”
There is also a separate lawsuit for $100 million in damages making its way through the Michigan courts and has a trial date of Feb. 2022.
Lakeside Academy’s chief executive could not be reached for comment about the new lawsuit. At the time of Cornelius’ death, the company released a statement that said the staff involved had all been terminated and expressed their regrets over the teen’s death.
Tenia Goshay, the teen’s aunt, represents Cornelius’ estate because he was an orphan and ward of the state at the time of his death. The lawsuit was filed on September 30.