British ColumbiaCBC Investigates

Nick Lang's grieving parents say B.C. ministry worker 'didn't care' about meth-addicted teenager

The parents of teen Nick Lang, who died just days after entering government-funded drug rehab in June, say B.C.'s Ministry of Children and Family Development misled them.

Peter Lang and Linda Tenpas are furious and say the Ministry of Children and Family Development misled them

Natalie Clancy CBC News Posted: Oct 13, 2015 8:31 PM EDT | Last Updated: October 17, 2015

Linda Tenpas and Peter Lang says ministry worker "didn't care" about their son, Nick Lang, who died June 9, 2015. (CBC)

The grievingparents of teenagerNick Lang, who diedjust six days after he entered government-funded drug rehab in June,say B.C.'s Ministry of Children and Family Development misled themand "made excuses" after his death.

Peter Langand Linda Tenpasnoticed their 15-year-oldson'sbehaviour and appearance were changing in January.

"He lost weight but he was hiding it with big sweatshirts," explainsLang, who recognized the signs of meth abusefrom his training as a corrections manager.

Nick Lang, before and after his meth addiction took hold. (Peter Lang)

LindaTenpas says they thought they discovered his addiction quickly enough to intervene.

"We caughthimthree months in ...sowe reached out for help...he's only 15. We can save our kid."

They found an MCFD-funded substance abuseprogram for teensinCampbellRiver,where addicts stay with local families and attend aday program.

Lang and Tenpastolda ministryworker who arrived to pick up the teenager that their son had relapsed andbinged on meth in recent days, and wereassured he would be closely monitored while he detoxed.

Boy's body found in closet

But, Tenpas says, that didn'thappen, because the family who paid to be his caregiver were not warned aboutthe meth addict's history or that he required constantsupervisionto keepsafe from self harm.

Lang and Tenpas say ministry staffwithheldcrucial information from both Nick's host family and his realfamily.

Nick Lang, 15, died in Campbell River, B.C. while attending a government-funded drug treatment program. (Peter Lang)

"They didn't give us the information. Sometimes they gave us misinformation. They didn't share what they needed to share. He should have been flagged immediately with his self-harm history."

When the host family found his body in a closet, in a room where he'd been left unattended for 40 minutes, Lang and Tenpas got a call telling them there'd been a "critical incident."

Lang says it was his sister, who lives in Campbell River, who rushed to the hospital andbroke the devastating news to them that their son had died.

'He robbed us of our child'

"Nobody called us after that ... the ministry didn't call us," said Tenpas, whose calls to the teen's apparently indifferent and unconcerned ministry worker went unreturned for three days before his death, because of a heavy case load.

"Two days later, they made excuses and said, 'He's a busy guy.'"

Former goalie, Nick Lang "went downhill fast" when meth abuse started. (Peter Lang)

Tenpas had been trying to get the worker's permission tocall her son after he'd left a distressing voicemail.She says by the time the worker approved her contacting the boy, he was already dead.

"He just didn't care ...He robbed us of our child," saidTenpas through tears.

They say the people at the program contracted by the ministry were very helpful but ministry staff were not.

Broader inquest could be launched

The BC Coroner's service confirmsthe teenager'sdeath is still under investigation andthe chief coroner has not yet decided whether to launch a broader inquest into several similar cases.

"Because we continue to gather facts on this case and on several of the others that have recently been reported in the media or legislature, it is too early to determine whether an inquest or a Death Review Panel might be held," said spokeswoman BarbMcLintock.

The mother of Carly Fraser, who killed herself a day after she turned 19 and was no longer in provincial care, has also criticized the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development.

Nick Lang's parentsare the third family in asmany weeks to demand a public inquiry into the deaths of children in ministry care.

Burnaby, B.C. woman Lisa Fraseris calling for the Ministry of Children and Family Development to review her daughterCarly Fraser'scase, following her suicide a day after she was no longer in care.

Meanwhile,friends and family of Alex Gervais, who died while in provincial care, are angry about the circumstances surrounding his death. The 18-year-old wasleft alone in an Abbotsfordhotel for three months, before he fell or jumped from a fourth-floor window in September.

Minister responds

The minister of Children and Family Development, Stephanie Cadieux,declined CBC's request for an interview, but in a statement said"This is a terrible tragedy and my deepest sympathy goes out to the family."

But the minister would not answer questions about Lang's death.

"I am not in a position to confirm what if any involvement the ministry has had with the family, due to privacy laws."

However the ministry says its staff routinely sharesinformation related to a child's safetywithcontracted caregivers.

The province has repeatedly refused to allow an independent inquiry, instead proceeding with an internal review within the ministry.

Tenpasaccuses the minister of hiding behind privacy laws "to cover up the errors her ministry has made" and has repeated her demand for an independent public inquiry into her son's death and the deaths of several other teens in care in the last year.