Rachel Canning is a senior at Morris Catholic High school in New Jersey. Rachel is gaining attention for an unusual lawsuit she has filed against her parents. She is suing them for financial support and to “force them to pay for her college education.” 

According to Canning, her parents decided that on her 18^th birthday she would be cut off “both financially and emotionally.” She also said, “My parents have rationalized their actions by blaming me for not following their rules. They stopped paying my high school tuition to punish the school and me and have redirected my college fund, indicating their refusal to afford me an education as a punishment.” The school, despite being owed over $4,000, will not kick Rachel out of school. The school believes that the parents should be held responsible for the repayment of their daughter’s tuition.

In addition to this, she said her high school advised her to not return home after she alleged abuse. Many people from her school claim they have witnessed “some difficult meetings between Rachel and Mr. Canning.” Another employee, Kathleen Smith, wrote that in October of last year, she heard Rachel’s mother call her “a foul name and say she didn’t want to speak to her daughter again.”

The big question is how is: Rachel able to afford an attorney if she can’t afford school? Her friend’s father, John Inglesino is funding the lawsuit, believing Rachel is doing the right thing by suing her parents. The record reports that in his letter to the court, Inglesino wrote, “Rachel is likeable, communicates exceptionally well and is highly motivated to attend and excel at a college appropriate for her. That is why my wife and I have decided to fund this lawsuit. We know that if Mr. and Mrs. Canning are not required to fulfill their legal obligations as parents, that Rachel’s ability to fulfill her potential will be greatly diminished.”

However, there are always two sides to every story. Sean and Elizabeth Canning said they never told Rachel to move out. They also say, “she had disciplinary problems at school last term, was suspended twice, ignored her curfew at home and bullied her younger sister.” Sean Canning, Lincoln Park police chief, told the record, “We love our child and miss her. This is terrible. It’s killing me and my wife. We have a child we want home. We’re not Draconian and now we’re getting hauled into court. She’s demanding that we pay her bills but she doesn’t want to live at home and she’s saying. ‘I don’t want to live under your rules.” New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency “visited his home for about three hours last fall, found nothing amiss, determined that Rachel was ‘spoiled’ and discontinued the investigation.” Additionally, they say Rachel’s college fund has not been withdrawn or re-allocated.