The plot thickens in the tormented story of Rachel Canning and the lawsuit she filed against her parents on February 24.
Rachel Canning, an honor student and cheerleader at Morris Catholic High School in Denville, New Jersey, moved out of her parents' house and filed a lawsuit against them that claimed that her parents abandoned her when she turned 18, forced her out of the house, and have refused to pay for her college expenses despite her acceptance letters from several universities.
Her parents, however, explained that Rachel moved out because she did not want to abide by their household rules, such as observing a curfew, returning borrowed items to her two sisters, doing certain chores, and cut ties with a boyfriend that they believe is a bad influence.
Since she moved out, she has been living with the Inglesinos. Jaime Inglesino is Rachel's friend and schoolmate, and John Inglesino is a lawyer and former Morris County Freeholder. He is also the managing partner at Inglesino, Wyciskala & Taylor, LLC, a 10-attorney firm in Parsippany, N.J. and serves on Gov. Chris Christie's School Funding Task Force. John Inglesino is the one funding the lawsuit that Rachel filed against her parents.
Inglesino and his two daughters, Lauren and Jaime, were present during the court hearing to provide support for Rachel. Both sides have submitted documents that vilified the other. The Canning's documents, for instance, spoke of the bad influence that the Inglesinos had on Rachel.
As the story unfolded, it was revealed that the Inglesinos were not so squeaky clean themselves. Sean and Elizabeth Canning, Rachel's parents, said the Inglesinos gave Rachel her first taste of alcohol and were in the habit of throwing parties in their house in which alcohol was given out freely and indiscriminately. In one of those parties, then 15 year-old Rachel got so drunk on vodka that she vomited on the sidewalk and in the garbage can after her dad Sean picked her up for a basketball game.
The Cannings also said that Amy, John Inglesino's wife, gave Rachel and her friends wine coolers while they were riding a limo to New York, on Rachel's 15th birthday. The Cannings have accused the Inglesinos of being lenient, and of enabling Rachel's behavior and undermining her own parents' attempts to discipline her. In one photo, Rachel was shown posing at a party where there were half-empty vodka bottles in the background.
"The Inglesino's, while purporting to help, have actually been a tremendous hindrance in family healing," said Sean. "The fact that she (Rachel) decided to run away and not abide by household rules is of her own volition and enabled by the Inglesino family who have arrogantly stated that their brand of parenting is somehow superior. The fact the Inglesino family has subsidized a lawsuit, rather than providing responsible guidance in abiding by a parent's rules is not an acceptable society norm."
The Cannings, however, are pained to see that Rachel is perceived as spoiled. Sean said he and his wife could not bear to see Rachel's reputation being destroyed in public. Even the Facebook page that has been set up to fight for Rachel's cause, Education for Rachel, seems to have backfired on Rachel. Most of the comments are against Rachel, calling her spoiled, ignorant, and a liability. However, Sean said that he and his family just want Rachel to come back home, and that the college tuition fund that they have set up for her is still there.
At the hearing that was held on Tuesday, Judge Peter Bogaard denied Rachel any immediate financial assistance and scheduled a secondary hearing for April 22.
