The NJ teen suing her parents to pay for her college tuition lost the first hearing in court.
Rachel Canning, an honors student and athlete at Morris Catholic High School, left her home in October 2013 and has spent the last 4 months living with a friend after a falling out with her parent over household rules. The Cannings deny the Rachel’s accusations of being kicked out of the house and the judge has yet to determine if Rachel left on her own accord or not. Though Canning is 18 years old, NJ law states a person is not emancipated from legal care until they have left the “scope of his or her parent’s authority”, something the judge must decide. The Cannings claim to be “dumbfounded” by the ordeal.
Canning accused her parents of abusive behavior, allegations her high school investigated with the state department and waived based on interviews with Rachel and her family members. The current charges filed cover financial assistance, requiring her parents to pay for her final semester at Morris Catholic, her current living and transportation expenses, commit to paying her college tuition, and pay her legal fees for the suit she filed.
In the first round of court hearings, the judge denied the request for immediate financial assistance due to the fact Morris Catholic HS peer ministers have agreed to raise the tuition for Rachel to cover the cost of the final semester. Rachel argues her parents should be required to “provide for [her] support and education until [she] can stand on my own two feet.”
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/04/justice/student-sues-parents-new-jersey/