After alleging that they were abusive and controlling, the New Jersey teen who sued her parents for school fees, medical expenses and legal fees associated with her lawsuit has finally dropped the lawsuit. Rachel Canning, 18, who moved back home last week, testified that she wanted to end the fight today. Guess she was just going through a phase!
Judge Peter Bogaard said he "found that [her] decision to dismiss the litigation was a knowing and voluntary decision," and dismissed the case that captivated the country. This comes in spite of Rachel's lawyer alleging that the teen was being pressured by her mother.
Rachel had previously accused her parents of being controlling and abusive (they allegedly harped on her weight and were critical of her boyfriend) and said they kicked her out. However, her parents, Sean and Elizabeth Canning, say she refuses to follow by their rules (she's broken curfew repeatedly for alleged drunken partying, she's stolen their money and bullied her sibling) so she ran away to her boyfriend's house and then a friend's house, thereby emancipating herself from their guardianship. The Cannings also said that Rachel was welcome to return home if she followed their rules.
Instead, Rachel sued her parents to pay for her high school tuition and college deposit, plus medical fees—and the legal fees that her friend's dad John Inglesino was paying for.
Judge Bogaard had denied Rachel's emergency request for fees of $650/week earlier this month, pointing out, "A kid could move out and then sue for an XBox, an iPhone or a 60-inch television" next." Also, he believed that her parents have the right to discipline her—her parents offered up a profane voicemail she left for her mother:
Hi mom just to let you know you're a real f**king winner aren't you you think you're so cool and you think you caught me throwing up in the bathroom after eating an egg frittatta, yeah sorry that you have problems now and you need to harp on mine because i didn't and i actually took a s*** which i really just wanna s*** all over your face right now because it looks like that anyway, anyway i f***ing hate you and um I've written you off so don't talk to me, don't do anything I'm blocking you from just about everything, have a nice life, bye mom
Inglesino, who is Parsippany's township attorney, has reportedly spent $13,000 in legal fees for Rachel (he's said he was concerned for Rachel's well-being). It's unclear if he'll sue the Cannings or Rachel for the money.
