Parents: Son was killed in Yonkers fight

Corey Foster's parents said they want answers to why their 16-year-old son died during a fight with staffers April 18 at the Leake & Watts school in Yonkers.

"How do you give a child a certificate of excellence and then several hours later he's killed?" asked the teen's mother, Sheila Foster, at a news conference Monday at the Greater Allen A.M.E. Church in Jamaica, Queens.

Sheila and Andre Foster, who live in Jamaica, spoke forcefully about wanting "justice" for their son, who died after a confrontation with staffers on the basketball court at the residential treatment facility for youths with special needs.

Leake & Watts officials have said the employees followed proper procedures to subdue Corey after he accidentally hit one with a basketball, but Sheila Foster believes the eight staffers didn't listen when her son told them he couldn't breathe as they held him down.

On Sunday, spokeswoman Meredith Barber said through email that the facility will not comment further until authorities complete an investigation.

The family's attorney, Jacob Oresky, said that the parents are not trying to accuse any of the employees suspended after the incident but that there are many unanswered questions.

"I want the district attorney to release information that I have not received yet," Sheila Foster said. "I received a death certificate instead of my son's autopsy. I want information. I want to see the videotape."

District attorney's office spokesman Lucian Chalfen said the autopsy is not yet complete. "She's absolutely entitled to it when it's done," he said.

Chalfen added that the family's attorney can talk to the district attorney's office, which will make a determination on what can be released during an active investigation.

The Fosters said they've heard different explanations from the facility.

The day of Corey Foster's death, Andre Foster said he received a call that his son had fainted. The next day, he was told that his son was acting out, was restrained for several minutes and then suffered heart failure, he said.

Facility officials said they are cooperating with investigations by the Yonkers Police Department, the Westchester County district attorney's office, the state Education Department and the Office of Children and Family Services."If they were to come forward and say it was an accident, you know tragic, but we would have to accept that . . . but they have been behind the walls and they haven't told us anything," Andre Foster said.