Teen who died in state custody at Baltimore hotel was neglected as caretaker worked 53-hour shift

A new report into the death of a 16-year-old girl in state care last year alleges she was neglected.

The contracted worker supervising her had been assigned to a 53-hour shift, and the teenager took her own life during that time, according to the state's findings. 

Who is Kanaiyah Ward? 

Kanaiyah Ward, 16, died after being housed at a Marriott hotel near Johns Hopkins Hospital in September. At the time, she was under state care.

After Ward's death, children in state custody are no longer being housed in hotels. The state ended the longtime practice in late November. 

A new report by the Maryland Department of Human Services found Ward was neglected by the caretaker who was supposed to supervise her with hourly checks. 

The hotel room was a suite, with the caretaker in the living room and Ward in the bedroom.

According to the report,  after a coworker called in sick, the caretaker's shift was extended from Saturday at 10 a.m. until Monday at 3 p.m.

During that time, Ward overdosed on a bottle of pills containing the active ingredient in Benadryl and became unresponsive. 

Lawyer Thomas Doyle represents her family. 

"When the checks were made, you didn't notice the bottle of empty pills at some point? Until the paramedics came? It really doesn't make sense," Doyle told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. 

Asked about the adult supervising Ward having a shift of more than 50 hours, Doyle said, "I wish I could say I'm surprised, but I'm really not, just based on the little that we had learned before. …And while I appreciate DHS's conclusion that Fenwick was negligent, I still maintain they need to look in the mirror because you can't just pass the buck on this one. She shouldn't have been in a hotel."

Contractor reacts

The adult taking care of Ward worked for Fenwick Behavioral Services, according to the report. 

Fenwick's owner told WJZ Investigates, "We will fight this vigorously. We have not neglected any child in the eight years I have owned this business."

He stressed he is appealing the neglect finding. 

According to the state's investigation, "The neglect determination identified three individual staff members at Fenwick responsible for that neglect due to the failure to provide proper care and attention in ensuring Kanaiyah's safety, by approving the worker to provide supervision over a continuous 53-hour shift, and by failing to ensure that medications were properly secured in the hotel."

Nowhere to go 

Ward was staying in the hotel after a residential treatment program in Baltimore forced her out.

According to the Department of Human Services report, the state contacted five other facilities, but no one would accept Ward, the state said, leaving no choice but to put her in the hotel. 

"There are a lot of unanswered questions in that entire report, a lot of things that raise more questions, and you know DHS is not investigating themselves as much as they're looking into Fenwick in this situation," Doyle told Hellgren. "…Five places turned her down, and she goes to a hotel. I mean, that's absolutely ludicrous."

Doyle said more should have been done to help Ward.

If we are unable as a society and as a state in Maryland to care for our children better, we're in trouble," he said. "…She was basically getting no help and living in a hotel as a teenager."

State reforms 

Governor Wes Moore has vowed to reform the system and claimed problems at DHS started before he took office.

"The really heartbreaking situation of a young person taking their own life—obviously it strikes at all of our souls—and while we cannot comment on active investigations, we also know that systems have got to be fixed," the governor said at a news conference in October. 

He told WJZ at the time, "Our administration has a firm commitment, and I am placing firm accountability on all of our people to make sure that we will use our time here in office to fix it."

Doyle said this was not a case where the family abandoned Ward.

He said her mom repeatedly tried to get her daughter professional assistance for mental health issues, but was unable to do so.

"The mom was actively trying to push DHS to get her into a facility that would help her," Doyle said.

For anyone in need, the nation's 24-hour suicide-and-crisis lifeline can be reached by dialing 988. You can also get assistance online here.