Former Lakeside nurse sentenced to probation for teen restraint death

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The former director of nursing at Lakeside Academy was sentenced Monday in Kalamazoo County circuit court to 18 months probation for her role in the death of a former Lakeside Academy student.

Kalamazoo County Circuit Judge Gary Giguere handed down the sentence to Heather McLogan, the former director of nursing at Lakeside Academy, who pleaded no contest to third degree child, a abuse for her role in the death of Cornelius Fredricks. Third-degree child abuse carries a maximum of two years of imprisonment.

"I feel horrible Cornelius died, this shouldn't have happened,” McLogan, in tears, said during her sentencing Monday.

Fredericks, 16, was placed in a 10-minute restraint that resulted in a lack of blood flow and oxygen on April 29, 2020. He never regained consciousness and died of a heart attack May 1, 2020, in a Kalamazoo hospital.

McLogan was not part of the restraint, but her legal obligations meant she needed to stop it, according to the facts stated during her plea.

Two of Cornelius Fredericks family members read victim impact statements in court Monday.

Fredericks grandmother said McLogan’s actions were “careless and unprofessional, due to your negligence."

"I'm heart broken," she told the court during Monday's sentencing.

Logan pleaded no contest in July to one felony charge of second-degree child abuse, charges of involuntary manslaughter and one felony charge of second-degree child abuse were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

• Plea agreement: Former Lakeside nursing director pleads no contest in student death case

Anastase Markou, McLogan’s attorney, said his client should have done more to help Cornelius and bared responsibly for what happened.

"It should never of happened, she feels terrible what happened. I think it surprises her looking at the video each time, how she just stood by after the restraint was finished," Markou said.

The plea agreement was reached after long-term negotiations between McLogan and prosecutors, where more serious charges were dropped in exchange for her cooperation in an on-going civil lawsuit filed by Cornelius Fredericks family estate against Lakeside Academy and Sequel Youth and Family Services.

"She lost herself a bit, working at Sequel. I think that environment became a cold one," Markou said.

• Lakeside closure: Justice group calls for closure of Kalamazoo facility where teenager died

The Kalamazoo county prosecutor's office said it consulted with Fredricks' family before offering the plea agreement to McLogan. Part of the plea deal says that, if needed, McLogan will testify against her co-defendants Michael Mosley and Zachary Solis in their court proceedings.

McLogan will also be required to pay $1,000 in victim fees as part of Monday's sentence.

Solis and Mosley were both physically involved in the restraint and were charged with involuntary manslaughter and two counts of second-degree child abuse. If McLogan violates the terms of her probation, she would be subject to a 180 day jail sentence, prosecutors said.