'Have you ever seen such gross disrespect?': Judge blasts 'spoiled' US cheerleader, 18, suing parents to support her after she ran away - who claims they were behind her bulimia and that her father showed her 'inappropriate affection'

College-bound honors student Rachel Canning of Lincoln Park, New Jersey says she was 'abandoned' by her parents the day she turned 18

Judge today warned her that she should not expect a pay out saying he can't expect to tell a parent how to put a child back on the 'right tracks'

He added that she has shown her parents the 'proverbial f u' and warned of the 'slippery slope' where parents live in fear of setting down rules



Expressed anger at phone message she left mother, Elizabeth, in which Rachel told her: 'I wanna s*** all over your face'



Rachel claims her weight dropped to 92 pounds after developing an eating disorder in sophomore year

In court papers she claims her father said she was 'more' than just a daughter to him and he kissed her on the cheek inappropriately



Rachel's father, Sean, is a former Lincoln Park, New Jersey police chief and says his daughter is a 'spoiled' liar who left on her own

Judge adjourned hearings until later but denied any immediate financial assistance



A judge today blasted an 18-year-old girl suing her parents for support after she ran away claiming they were behind her bulimia and that her father showed her 'inappropriate affection'

When Judge Peter Bogaard read an expletive-laden and vicious answerphone message left by Rachel Canning, from Lincoln Park, New Jersey, to her mother, Elizabeth, in which the girl said: 'I wanna s*** all over your face', he said: ' Have you ever in your experience seen such gross disrespect for a parent? I don’t see it in my house.’

The judge, sitting at Morris County court added that Rachel had given her mom and dad, Sean: ‘The proverbial f you’. He also warned he must consider the 'slippery slope' where 'we open the gates for a 12-year-old to sue for an Xbox, a 13-year-old to sue for an iPhone… what about a 15-year-old asking for a 60 inch TV?'

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Boring? Rachel Canning appears to yawn while listening to how her family were torn apart by her claims and behavior

Sensational claims: Rachel Canning attends Morris County Court today in her school uniform. She is suing her parents Sean and Elizabeth for 'abandoning' her after she ran away after her 18th birthday

Blasted: The judge hearing the case took a very dim view of a voicemail Rachel left for her mother. She told her 'I hate you' and 'I wanna s*** all over your face' Heartbreak: Elizabeth and Sean Canning broke down in tears as details of how their family was torn apart were read out publicly in Morris County Court, New Jersey Rachel, who is suing her parents for ‘abandoning’ her has made sensational claims that her mom calling her ‘fat’ and ‘porky’ led to her suffering bulimia and that her former police chief father dad used to get her drunk and kiss her inappropriately. In shocking legal documents submitted to the court, the honor-roll student said her parents’ behavior contributed to her developing an eating disorder at a young age and saw her weight plummet down to 92 pounds.

Rachel, who has two younger sisters moved in with the parents’ of a friend and is now suing for child support, medical bills, college expenses and legal fees.



She states that her parents have a combined yearly income of between $250,000 and $300,000 and she is entitled to $654-a-week in child support. Her parents have also refused to pay $6,000 owed in school fees for her Catholic High School.



Her parents claim their daughter ran off to stay with friends when she turned 18 because she refused to abide by rules they had set down, including to stop dating her boyfriend.

But today the judge clearly took a dim view of the lawsuit. He said: ‘What kind of parents would the Canning’s be if they didn’t try to set down some strict rules?

'I hate you, have a nice life, bye mom' Phone message left for Liz Canning from Rachel at July 2, 2013 1:18pm, submitted to Morris County Court, which got the judge apparently so angry:

'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'

Dim view: The judge denied her request for any immediate financial costs to be paid and warned Rachel that her request would probably be turned down on the evidence she has provided so far Pained: Rachel's parents owe more than $5,000 on her school fees, but are refusing to pay, saying that she had 'emancipated' herself from their care

A family court judge denied a request by Canning of Lincoln Park, New Jersey, to have her parents temporarily resume paying her tuition and living expenses. He set another hearing date for next month

‘I’m not going to put myself in anyone’s shoes, he’s (father Sean) trying to raise a child. It’s clear to me all the positive qualities Rachel obviously has, in terms of sports and academics, but I’m not going to step on a father for how he tries to get his child on the right tracks when she has obviously come off the tracks, to put it mildly.’

When summing up later he denied all immediate financial claims, including monthly maintenance, private school payments and legal fees.

Summing up, Judge Bogaard said: ‘The court was called upon to find whether immediate financial relief was needed… It is not necessary….





'What is the next step? Will a 12-year-old sue over an x box, a 13-year-old sue for an iPhone... what about a 15-year-old asking for a 60-inch TV?'

- Judge Peter Bogaard

‘We have to ask ourselves, do we want to establish a precedent where parents live in constant fear of enforcing the basic rules of the house. If they set a rule a child doesn’t like, the child can move out, move in with another family, seek child support, cars, cell phone and a few hundred grand to go to college.

‘Counsel, also needs to ask themselves, what is the next step…. Are we going to open the gates for a 12-year-old to sue for an Xbox, a 13-year-old to sue for an iPhone… what about a 15-year-old asking for a 60 inch TV….

‘I want both counsels to think of the potential slippery slope here.’

He added: ‘I think everyone needs to take a step back and realize this family and Rachel in particular is well worth the effort to salvage or attempt to.



Slippery slope: The judge said counsel had to ask themselves what's next: 'Will a 12-year-old sue over an x box, a 13-year-old sue for an iPhone... what about a 15-year-old asking for a 60-inch TV?'



Support: Rachel was in court with her friend, Jamie Inglesino, and her parents who has taken her in and is paying the lawyer's fees for her unprecedented legal fight

‘It appears more energy has been utilized at this point to tear apart this family than try to figure out how this family can somehow be brought back together.

‘I hope we all can realize that despite all the ups and downs, despite the somewhat severe trials and tribulations that have been brought in front of the court, that the basic concept that all the money in the world cannot match the greatest gift you can ever receive, the gift of a child.

‘You should never give up on a child even when they become a young adult.’

He set a date for the secondary hearing, but advised that the plaintiff had not provided sufficient evidence up until now to suggest she would win the case.

Rachel’s attorney Tanya Hefland hit back, saying: ‘They more than have the ability to pay. In the four months she has been with the Inglesino’s they have not called her, they have not offered a penny to her benefactors.

‘Any normal parent would be so embarrassed… they would reach out to the Inglesino’s to sort this situation out.

‘Mr Inglesino reached out twice to try to sort this out father to father and Mr Canning wasn’t interested.

‘They wanted her to move, they wanted her to fail, they wanted her out of that school. They didn’t care, they were more interested in saving their $6,000.

‘They have failed, they are not interested and it is abundantly clear. They call themselves loving parents… but paint the most disgusting image of their daughter. This is a pretty good kid in my opinion, but all they can do is bad mouth their child.’

Mother and daughter: Rachel further claimed in court papers that her mother Liz called her 'porky' and that Rachel went on to suffer from bulimia. Mrs Canning said this is not true and she supported her

Sick: Rachel's mother submitted court documents in which she claimed to have supported her daughter throughout her bulimia battle after finding garbage sacks full of vomit hidden in her bedroom



She added: ‘They met her boyfriend for five minutes and immediately disliked him. When she was at her worst they went to Vegas leaving two minor’s in her care.

‘It is irrelevant who is at fault. When families have the ability to pay they should pay. Our tax dollars should not be used.’

When asked why she didn’t go home, she replied: ‘Because it is an abusive relationship.’

Mr Canning spoke to his daughter after entering the court room. Earlier he addressed reporters outside court, saying, ‘We are good parents, we have nothing to hide’.

At one point during the hearing both he and his wife burst into tears.

Mr and Mrs Cannings have completely dismissed Rachel's stunning allegations and have called their daughter a liar and a thief, who is ‘obsessed’ with alcohol.

They claimed her boyfriend Lucas Kitzmiller is a terrible influence and Rachel ran away from home after getting suspended from high school in an incident that involved him.

And Mrs Canning even accused her daughter of trying to sabotage her relationship with her husband and even ‘attempting to open up a dating profile for him’.



In documents submitted to Morris County Family Court, and seen by MailOnline, Rachel wrote: ‘I have been subjected to severe and excessive verbal and physical abuse by my mother and father.



‘In the summer before my senior year he got me drunk at a wedding and said I was his date. He kept giving me shots and mango martinis. I blacked out...'

- Rachel Cannings on her father



'As I was growing up my mother was always demeaning to me. She called me "fat" and "porky". My father demanded that I get a basketball scholarship. My father spent a lot of time with me on weekends while I was in basketball tournaments. My mother seemed angry about this. He forbade me to have a boyfriend when I was a high school freshman, and threatened to beat him up.

'In sophomore year i developed an eating disorder and my weight dropped to 105 pounds. In my junior year, I was down to 92 pounds. My mother kept screaming at me, saying I was mentally messed up. My father was angry that I wasn't going to be able to play basketball because I needed to gain weight.'

She went on: ‘My father gave me the sense that he was inappropriately affectionate with me. He mentioned frequently that my relationship in his eyes was not one of a daughter, but more than that.

‘In the summer before my senior year he got me drunk at a wedding and said I was his date. He kept giving me shots and mango martinis. I blacked out that night and woke up at the toilet bowl in our room and he was in bed.

In happier times: Rachel claims her father Sean Canning was inappropriately affectionate. But a Department of Families and Children inquiry cleared him of allegations of abuse

‘He constantly put his arm around me in public and would kiss me on the cheek. When we moved to Hackettstown, he once woke me up at 2am to come down to play beer pong with him. The refrigerator was about 75 per cent full of liquor.’

Rachel then went on to reference an incident at her Homecoming dance, where she was accused of being drunk.

She said: ‘I was found not to be intoxicated. To be readmitted to the dance, I was required to call my mother in the presence of Kathleen Smith, a teacher at Morris Catholic School.

‘My mother who was In Las Vegas for the week with my father, first hung up…. When I called my parents back again, she and my father were screaming obscenities at me.



‘The teacher heard it in speaker phone…. DCP&P was called by my school when I complained of my parent’s behaviour. My parents, to retaliate, refused to pay my high school tuition and have continued to do so, as well as cutting me off financially.





'T he case worker told us that it was in her opinion that we spoiled our daughter. We gave her too much'

- Elizabeth Cannings

But Elizabeth Canning hit back, saying: ‘Rachel’s allegations that I called her "fat" and "porky" are not factual.… we are big believers in building our daughter’s self-esteem and always telling them how beautiful they are.’



She went on: ‘Rachel’s allegation that there was anything other than a father/daughter relationship is utterly offensive… there was never anything remotely sexual or conduct that could be considered in any way sexual. My husband loves his daughter – as a daughter – nothing more.

‘She was the apple of his eye.’

The couple submitted letters to the court which state a Department of Children and Families investigation cleared them. Mrs Canning added: 'In fact, the case worker told us that it was in her opinion that we spoiled our daughter. We gave her too much'.

Mrs Canning added: 'She also told the worker that she had threatened suicide and my reaction was that I "high-fived" my husband. this was so outrageously offensive that it did not deserve to be addressed, but we gladly addressed it with the caseworker'.

She said: ‘On or about October 30, 2012, two days before her 18th birthday, Rachel ran away from home. Rachel was never ‘kicked’ out of home.

‘Rachel lived in our house, under our supervision, until the morning of October 30, 2013, when she ran away after a disciplinary hearing at Morris Catholic wherein she was suspended for truancy (having previously been suspended due to alcohol involvement at the Homecoming Dance).

Ultimatum: An email exchange between Mr Canning and his daughter spelled out how Rachel would not be able to see Lucas if she wanted to move back home in November last year

‘Between August and October 30, 2013, Rachel routinely (every weekend) would attend parties, become intoxicated, and seek approval from my husband and I.

‘On or about October 5, 2012, Rachel committed a theft on my credit card, which card was given to her for the purpose of purchasing presents for my husband’s birthday.’

Referencing another theft, she said: ‘During at incident in April 2011, Rachel stole $100 from my purse, snuck out of the house, at midnight, attended a party…. And returned home by taxi at 3.30am on a weeknight.’

Mrs Canning then went on to address her daughter's eating disorder in detail, saying she and her husband were not at fault. She said Rachel wanted to go on a diet in preparation for the prom in 2012.



Mrs Canning went on: 'Upon our return from vacation that year, I had realized that Reachel was more than "dieting". I went through Rachel's room and pulled out two extra-large garbage bags filled with vomit.'

She confronted her daughter who admitted it tearfully. 'During this time, I brought her to various therapists, who diagnosed her with anorexia and bulimia. I was and am her biggest supporter in trying to get her treated.

'I went through Rachel's room and pulled out two garbage bags filled with vomit... because of Rachel's eating disorders and my determination to get her healthy, Rachel developed hatred toward me'

-Elizabeth Cannings



'Because of Rachel's eating disorders and my determination to get her healthy, Rachel developed hatred toward me.'



Rachel is an honors student and cheerleader at Morris Catholic High School in New Jersey.

In court papers, she alleges her parents abandoned her when she turned 18 years old, and are now refusing to pay for her to go to college, despite the fact she has received acceptance letters from several universities.

Sean Canning contends that his daughter Rachel left on her own accord because she was simply unwilling to follow his demands to be respectful, do her chores, and give back some of her sister's borrowed belongings

But her parents say in the court papers that she is now 18 and by her actions has 'emancipated herself'.



Her father, Sean Canning defended his actions online in a Facebook post before today's hearing: 'Late last summer, what started as normal teenage parent conflict and disagreements over life, rules and other things with Rachel suddenly escalated into full blown rebellion.



'Without getting into all of the details, which may or may not be made public, there were many instances where we set limits on Rachel’s behavior, and those limits were far exceeded.



'At the end of October, she decided she could do better on her own and ran away. She is living at her friend’s parents’ home in another town. Since running away from our home, certain people have been 'guiding' her, thinking they are well meaning and advising her, unfortunately, with ill advice.



'While they think they are helping they have not. She has been enabled. Our family has been put through hell.'

Rachel, who has a $20,000 scholarship, says the University of Vermont, a private college is her first choice . She says she didn't run away but was given the option of dumping her boyfriend or moving out.

Rachel Canning is asking her parents for college tuition and expenses, transportation costs, legal fees, and that they cover her current unpaid Catholic school tuition

The father of Rachel's friend, attorney john Inglesino (pictured) says he and his wife are helping her sue her parents because without her parents, 'Rachel's ability to fulfill her potential will be greatly diminished'

In the lengthy post, her father continued: 'There was no abuse ever against any of my girls, mentally or physically. Rachel has now instituted a lawsuit against us, which the family that she is living with has fronted the funds for her.

'She is claiming every possible allegation; allegations which are simply not true. These claims are beyond hurtful.

'Although we do not owe anyone an explanation, we did want you all to know that the allegations that Rachel has claimed – amongst which include our abandoning her, as well as emotional and physical abuse – simply never happened.



'She ran away because she didn’t want to follow any rules. She stayed away because she had a place to go. That’s it.



'Bottom line. Rachel has and will always have a place in our home.'

Rachel, who’s already received acceptance letters to several universities and a $20,000 scholarship offer from a New York private college, claims she was forced out of her home on her birthday after her father and mother jointly decided to cut her off ‘from all support both financially and emotionally.’

Just spoiled? Rachel alleged she was being abused last fall, which helped prompt officials at her school to call child protective services. But Rachel's father says the state worker only found that his daughter is 'spoiled' ‘My parents have rationalized their actions by blaming me for not following their rules,’ court papers filed on behalf of the teen claim.

‘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 a punishment.’ According to DailyRecord.com, Sean and Liz Canning owe Morris Catholic $5,306 in tuition they’ve neglected to pay since the start of the family feud. And it’s not just because of their missing money that school administrators appear to be backing Rachel.

'Rachel has excellent grades and will not be removed from the school for this non-payment; however her parents do have a contractual obligation to pay. Rachel is certainly unable at this time to attend Morris Catholic High School full-time and support herself financially,' Morris Catholic president Michael St. Pierre wrote in a certification to the court.

St. Pierre said the school called New Jersey Child Protection and Permanency last fall after abuse allegations from Rachel and what he called ‘difficult meetings between Rachel and Mr. Canning.’

'My parents have rationalized their actions by blaming me for not following their rules,' Rachel said in court papers. The 18-year-old has offers to attend several colleges and is an accomplished cheerleader and lacrosse player who hopes to one day be a biomedical engineer



'We love our child and miss her. This is terrible. It’s killing me and my wife. We have a child we want home. We’re not draconian and now we’re getting hauled into court. She’s demanding that we pay her bills but she doesn’t want to live at home and she’s saying "I don’t want to live under your rules,"' Mr. Canning said.

'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?”'

Mr. Canning was unavailable for comment when a call was made to his office at Mt. Olive Township Monday afternoon.



He admits that he's stopped paying Rachel's high school tuition but says she'll receive her existing college fund.

But that’s just not enough, says John Inglesino, an attorney and former local city official whose already paid $12,597 for Rachel’s lawyer.



Inglesino claims his daughter's friend is ‘emotionally distraught by her parents’ sudden rejection of her.’



Sean Canning has defended his actions against daughter Rachel and denies that she has been badly treated by him and his wife

‘Rachel is likeable, communicates exceptionally well and is highly motivated to attend and excel at a college appropriate for her. That is why my wife and I have decided to fund this lawsuit. We know that if Mr. and Mrs. Canning are not required to fulfil their legal obligations as parents, that Rachel’s ability to fulfil her potential will be greatly diminished,’ Inglesino wrote to the court.

Her attorney’s argument that these are all reasonable demands rely solely on the fact that 18-year-old Rachel, who says she wants to study biomedical engineering, will be a student.

Helfand says her client has not ‘moved beyond (her parents’) sphere of influence’ and per New Jersey law may be deemed non-emancipated.



‘A child’s admittance and attendance at college will overcome the rebuttable presumption that a child may be emancipated at age 18,’ reads an earlier state court decision.

But the attorney for Mr. and Mrs. Canning Laurie Rush-Masuret is claiming Rachel removed herself from that 'sphere of influence' when she voluntary left her parents' home.



Family law attorneys Sheldon Simon disagrees.



‘A child is not emancipated until they’re on their own…Even if a child and the parents don’t get along that doesn’t relieve the parents of their responsibility,’ Simon told the DailyRecord.