Overview
- The family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit accusing a Clearbrook-operated Rolling Meadows group home and one staff member of negligence in the choking death of 33-year-old Emily Kasanga.
- The complaint says Kasanga had a diagnosed swallowing disorder, required 24-hour supervision, and that staff failed to follow her individualized care plan for supervision and food preparation.
- Attorneys allege a staff member left Kasanga unattended while she was eating and did not cut her food into the small pieces her plan required, after which she choked.
- The family says they repeatedly reported care problems including hygiene issues, missing clothing, lack of emotional support, and bullying to Clearbrook and the Illinois Office of the Inspector General but saw no resolution.
- Lawyers say emergency responders were called but arrived too late and the facility did not notify the family; Clearbrook has not responded and the family has scheduled a public news conference while also naming the State of Illinois in the suit over oversight failures.