A New Jersey teen is suing her parents for money to pay for her private school and the bitter battle has moved from the courtroom to where all things must these days: Facebook. The New York Post has been all over this story, and reported today that the teen, 18-year-old Rachel Canning, called baby boomers a “spoiled lot” in a message posted to a Facebook support page, “Education for Rachel.”
“We have been stunned by the financial greed of modern parents who are more concerned with retiring into some fantasy world rather than provide for their children’s college and young adult years,” the post said in one of its more winning lines.
“In today’s economy there are no more meaningful jobs and without family help it’s usually military or bust,” Canning went on. While being extremely Google-able probably doesn’t help, the post ended by reminding us how children are accessories, and “once that accessory grew up and went out of fashion … the child becomes a throwaway, that’s just how it is.”
Unsurprisingly, many parody pages have also cropped up. But “Education for Rachel” does seem to be completely in earnest, with a cover photo that reads, “Money for education, that’s all.” Wonder how that line works for all those people crippled by student loans? Another Facebook page was also set up in support of Rachel’s parents, Sean and Elizabeth Canning, which, so far, is winning in the Facebook “likes” column.
This whole ridiculousness began when Rachel Canning claimed that her parents kicked her out of the house and so owe her tuition, room and board, and other expenses — you know, everything, because she’s a high school student who doesn’t have a full-time job. Her parents said she left on her own, after it sounds like they got on her case for not doing her chores, breaking her curfew, and not dumping her boyfriend, of whom they did not approve. So, like every other teenager-parent fight, ever.
But rather than simply slamming the door of her room and threatening to make them sorry by running away, she actually did run away (or was kicked out, as the teen claims) and made them sorry by slapping a good, old-fashioned American lawsuit on them. She fled to her friend’s house, whose dad, John Inglesino, also happens to be a high-powered New Jersey attorney. Inglesino is helping Rachel pay for her legal fees, and said he and his wife are doing this “because she is a terrific, extremely bright young lady who is committed to her future.” Which, when put that way, still makes little sense. The Cannings, on the other hand, claim their daughter likes it over at the Inglesino’s because he gives them wine coolers and lets them have “alcoholic parties.” The cool parents always win.
A very reasonable judge threw out Rachel’s emergency requests for more than $600 a week. Another hearing will take place next month. She remains “unemancipated” according to her attorney, because she needs her parents to pay for high school and eventually college.
