Leake & Watts boy's death: 'I can't breathe,' boy
shouts after staffers piled onto him, witness says
Apr. 19, 2012 - by Will David and James O’Rourke of lohud.com
Corey Foster, a 16-year-old resident who died Wednesday night at Leake & Watts residential treatment center, went into cardiac arrest while being restrained by staff who were trying to force him off a basketball court, according to two witnesses.
A half dozen staff piled onto Foster after he became angry, they said.“When they got off of him, he was on the ground and wasn’t responsive,” said Antonio Reeder, 17, a resident who said he saw the confrontation
Please click on the link below to read the full article.http://www.lohud.com/article/20120419/NEWS02/304180105/Restrained-boy-who-dies-Leake-Watts-facility-Yonkers-identified-basketball-dispute-precipitated-incident
Another tragic death of a child due to restraint. What could have been going through the minds of the people who did this, and how could they think what they were doing was ok?
Corey Foster
News from the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA)
Another Child Dies in a US School: When will the Abuse Stop!
“What if you knew her
And found her
dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?”
~ Neil Young
COPAA is outraged and horrified that
another child has lost his life in school - this time because in anger ”he took
a [basketball] shot that ricocheted into the head of one employee.” Like too
many before him Corey Foster, a 16-year-old resident who died Wednesday night at
Leake & Watts residential treatment center,went into cardiac arrest while
being restrained by staff who were trying to force him off a basketball court,
according to two witnesses.
Read the full story here:
Each day in the United States children
are traumatized, hurt, and killed through the imposition of such restraint. This
is not an isolated incident. How many times must another family lose a child;
must we urge action to prevent such senseless, yet predictable, tragedies?
Federal minimum guidelines must be passed that set a bright line and a clear expectation that school personnel and administrators will ensure the safety and welfare of all students, create positive school climates, prevent the need for such physical intervention, and reduce the imposition of known deadly and traumatic responses to challenging behaviors.
Once again we ask elected officials and Secretary Duncan – just what on earth are you waiting for? Protect our children NOW.
Federal minimum guidelines must be passed that set a bright line and a clear expectation that school personnel and administrators will ensure the safety and welfare of all students, create positive school climates, prevent the need for such physical intervention, and reduce the imposition of known deadly and traumatic responses to challenging behaviors.
Once again we ask elected officials and Secretary Duncan – just what on earth are you waiting for? Protect our children NOW.
