The New Jersey teen who filed suit against her parents to make them pay for her tuition other education fees has dropped the case.
18-year-old Lincoln Park resident Rachel Canning, who said she was kicked out of her family home the day she came of age, returned to the house last week. She has now dismissed the lawsuit, according to the Daily Record.
Rachel made a court appearance on Tuesday, flanked by legal representative Tanya N. Helfand, mother Elizabeth and father Sean Canning, along with their lawyer Angela Sarno. Standing before state Superior Court Judge Peter A. Bogaard, Rachel stated her decision to drop the complaint, and confirmed that her decision was "a knowing and voluntary" one.
Rachel reportedly went back to her house and reunited with her mother, father and siblings last Wednesday.
"Her return home is not contingent on any financial and/or other considerations," a statement written by Sarno read.
Judge Bogaard denied the student immediate funds and payment for her private high school tuition - Rachel initially called for her parents to pay $650 a week in child support, along with a debt of $5,306 owed to Morris Catholic High School.
Bogaard also instructed Rachel's parents keep her on their health insurance police and maintain her college savings accounts.
The honor student, cheerleader and lacrosse player first filed a suit against her parents in the Family Part of Morristown's state Superior Court earlier this month.
Rachel said her mother and father "abandoned" her when she turned 18 - in her filing, she contended that her parents cut her off "from all support both financially and emotionally." Rachel also said her parents abused her, both physically and sexually.
"My parents have rationalized their actions by blaming me for not following the rules," Rachel wrote in her initial complaint. "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 punishment."
But according to Sean, Rachel's issues weren't portrayed accurately at the time of the suit. He told USA Today that her case had been blown out of proportion, and that his daughter didn't want to follow basic rules of the home - following curfew, doing chores and not arguing with her two siblings among them.
"We're heartbroken, but what do you do when a child says, 'I don't want your rules but I want everything under the sun, and you to pay for it?'" Sean said at the time.
