Embarrassing, old-fashioned, annoying… parents have been called many things but we’ve never taken such an extreme measure as this!
One American college student has won a restraining order against her own parents, after convincing a court that they were stalking her.
Aubrey Ireland, a 21-year-old student at the University of Cincinnati, told the court that she was regularly embarrassed by her parents making the 600-mile journey from their home in Kansas to visit their daughter unannounced at college to check up on her.
Her parents also openly admitted to having installed key-logging software on their daughter’s mobile phone and laptop.
They claimed that their daughter had become promiscuous and was taking drugs, and was also suffering from what The Cincinnati Enquirer described as “mental woes”.
The newspaper also reported that the parents’ behaviour became such an issue for their daughter that the university even hired security guards to keep them away from stage performances in which Aubrey was appearing.
“It’s just been really embarrassing and upsetting to have my parents come to my university when I’m a grown adult and just basically slander my name and follow me around,” it quoted Aubrey as telling a court hearing.
Aubrey stopped all contact with her parents. They then stopped paying her tuition fees in the hope that it would result in her having to return home to them.
Her college gave her a full scholarship for her final year, in recognition of her regular appearances on the university’s Dean’s List.
A judge at the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court had urged the two sides to work out a settlement, but with no agreement forthcoming, the court issued a restraining order requiring David and Julie Ireland to remain 500 feet from their daughter at all times.
They are also required not to make any contact with her until September 2013.
