18 year old Rachel Canning was furious at her parents Sean and Elizabeth Canning for not paying her tuition. Canning claimed that her parents kicked her out of their house when she turned 18 and had refused to pay for further education. Rachel Canning had sought out to sue her parents for $650 as the hearing of her case took place in Morristown, New Jersey on Tuesday, March 4th.
In court filings, Rachel Canning alleged her parents of being abusive, contributed to an eating disorder and pushed her to get a basketball scholarship. She said they refused to pay for higher education even after she received acceptance letters from several universities. The Canning’s said they have helped her through the eating disorder and was willing to pay for a private school where she would play less basketball than a state run school.
Retired Lincoln Park police chief Sean Canning and his wife Elizabeth said their daughter had left voluntarily because she did not want to abide reasonable household rules. Simple rules such as; being respectful, keeping a curfew, doing chores and ending a relationship with her boyfriend whom they think is a bad influence.
“We love our child and miss her; it is killing me and my wife. We have a child we want home. We are not draconian and now we are getting hauled into court. She is demanding that we pay her bills but she does not want to live at home and she is saying: ‘I do not want to live under your rules.’”
Canning’s parents argue that she was not kicked out of the house. The Canning’s say she was an “incredibly rebellious teen” who ran away from home often and continuously got into trouble at school, twice suspended for bullying her sister.
At Rachel Canning’s hearing, Judge Bogaard rejected her request. Her parents do not have to pay her high school tuition, give her monthly allowance or provide any additional financial support.
“If the parents set a rule a child does not like, the child can move out, move in with another family; seek child support, cars, cell phone, and a few hundred grand to go to college? Are we going to open the gates for 12-year-olds to sue for an X-box or for 13-year- olds to sue for an iPhone?” said Judge Bogaard.
The next decision the judge has to make is whether or not the parents will have to pay for her college fees, but as of now, the Judge Bogaard has delayed the ruling until April 22.
Until the next hearing, Rachel Canning is not getting what she requested for from the judge. She was hoping to get the judge on her side and have her parents pay for her tuition. The Canning’s are begging for their daughter to come back home. The judge thinks of her as spoiled, ignorant and disrespectful towards her parents. The ruling of the next hearing will more than likely be in the Canning’s favor yet again.