On Tuesday, plaintiff Rachel Canning was not able to get a favorable ruling from a Morristown court judge regarding her parents shouldering her tuition and living expenses, The Chicago Tribune reported. The 18 year-old appeared in court today to seek legal action from her parents, Sean and Elizabeth, who allegedly threw her out when she approached of legal age on November 1st last year,
The report said Canning is looking for the court to side with her about demanding her parents to pay the balance of her tuition due with the Morris Catholic High School. The plaintiff, who is currently on her senior year and has been accepted in several colleges, is also seeking a motion to grant her access to a college fund reportedly set up for the teenager.
Judge Peter Bogaard, said Chicago Tribune, had denied Canning's demand for a $600 monthly stipend to cover her living expenses and the payment for her high school tuition from her parents.
In court, the teenager's legal representative argued that Canning had the right to demand financial support as she is still not yet legally emancipated under New Jersey's law.
The emancipation of minors as defined by the Cornell University Law School's Legal Information Institute is a legal mechanism that stipulates conditions wherein a child could be released from parental authority and become adults. Canning's case could set the precedent on how state law address concerns about children demanding support despite reaching a legal age, said Chicago Tribune. In the state of New Jersey, a child remains under parental care unless he or she obtains an independent status on his or her own, like graduating from college, marriage or having a job.
Canning's parents had told the court that their daughter left the home on her own, and informed the judge about her behavioral problems, which include underage drinking. They also disclosed that Canning was at one point suspended from school.
