I was published in the November 2008 issue of Liberty Magazine with a reflection titled “Loco Parentis.”

In the piece, I discuss the case of a 12-year-old girl in Quebec whose father prevented her from attending a school trip after she posted photographs of herself on a dating website. The girl challenged his decision, and a judge ruled that the punishment was too severe and ordered that she be allowed to attend the trip.

I argue that disagreements over parental discipline should ordinarily remain within the family rather than becoming matters for judicial intervention. When officials override a parent’s authority without assuming responsibility for the consequences, their apparent benevolence imposes its costs on someone else.

The reflection appeared in the Reflections section on page 10 of the November 2008 print issue.

Read “Loco Parentis” in the November 2008 issue of Liberty Magazine (PDF) →