Sequel Youth & Family Services: Nurse Pleads No Contest to Child Abuse Charge in 2020 Death of Cornelius Fredericks

August 2, 2021

One of three people charged with manslaughter for the death of a teenager at a Kalamazoo youth home last year has pleaded to a lesser charge.

Heather McLogan pleaded no contest to a count of third-degree child abuse during a virtual hearing Thursday.

She was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter and second-degree child abuse. Those counts are expected to be dismissed at sentencing on Sept. 27.

The charges stem from the death of 16-year-old Cornelius Fredericks, who died May 1, 2020, two days after several staff members held him down for nearly 8 minutes at Lakeside Academy. McLogan was working at the youth home as a nurse at the time.

Also charged with involuntary manslaughter in the case were two of the people who authorities say helped restrain Fredericks, Michael Mosley and Zachary Solis. Their cases are still working their way through the justice system. The staffers’ attorneys have argued they were following protocol.

Ten people were ultimately fired from Lakeside for how they handled the situation. The state ruled the restraint wrongful and moved to shut down the facility forever. A task force is also working to eliminate restraints in state-run youth homes unless absolutely necessary — that is, during life-or-death situations.

Source: Rachel Van Gilder, “Nurse pleads to abuse in death at Kalamazoo youth home,” WOOD-TV 8 (Kalamazoo, MI), July 29, 2021, URL: https://www.woodtv.com/news/kalamazoo-county/nurse-pleads-to-abuse-in-death-at-kalamazoo-youth-home/