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Irish American college student wins court order against stalking parents

Says her parents followed her all around college campus and spied on her

JAMES O'SHEA,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Saturday, December 29, 2012, 7:27 AM

Updated Saturday, December 29, 2012, 8:28 AM

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19 Comments

Aubrey Ireland

A 21-year-old Irish American student has won a court order against her parents banning them from stalking her.

Aubrey Ireland, a highly gifted music major, claimed that her parents, David and Julie Ireland followed her all around campus at the College Conservatory of music in Cincinnati, Ohio even though they lived 700 miles away in Kansas.

Ireland told the court that her parents became obsessed with her life in college, bad mouthed her to staff and told her department head she had mental issues.

They also installed tracking software on her computer and iPhone and accused her of promiscuity.

"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," Ireland told the court.

Ireland, an only child, cut off her parents who then refused to pay her tuition but the college agreed to give her a full scholarship.

Her parents denied the charges. Mrs Ireland told the court: "She's an only child who was catered to all her life by loving parents. We're not bothering her. We're not a problem."

Judge Jody Luebbers dismissed the parents claim that their daughter was "lying" and she ordered them to stay 500 yards from her at all times and make no effort to contact her before she graduated college.

Nster.com

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19 Comments

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Bocktherobber | Dec 31, 2012, 07:18 PM EST

Niall, you're stretching it a bit there. Are you saying that everyone in the US with a vaguely Irish surname is automatically Irish-American until proven innocent? I have googled the Ireland surname as you recommend and can't find the reference. Maybe you'd provide a link to save further fruitless searching.

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SingleDonald | Dec 31, 2012, 10:17 AM EST

I applaud Aubrey's legal action! Even when kids are minors, parents can't expect them to be subservient. Aubrey has a life of her own, and, at 21, certainly doesn't need meddling, control freak parents. Parents should take the advice they always gave to their kids: GROW UP!! For example, if Aubrey dated a guy much older than herself, the parents might not be too pleased. However, they would have no right to threaten the man, so long as he wasn't married. I know that I,a baby boomer, would go out with someone younger, as long as she was at least 21. I would go over to her parents house, showing them that I was an upright guy, who had their daughter's best interests at heart. The father should not act like a "daddy-o", nor the mother a "momma hen". If they objected to me seeing her, I wouldn't back down. I would tell them that I would continue to meet her, at outside locations. If either threatened me, I would threaten back! Assault charges could always be filed, if "daddy-o" attempted to beat me up!

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merefalow | Dec 30, 2012, 05:02 PM EST

can i adopt her,overprotective parents who cant let go,sad realy,like to hear their stories.

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bonjouryall | Dec 30, 2012, 09:55 AM EST

All good comments,2ndrepublik,and a hilarious suggestion, Seagreen.

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jacersagain | Dec 30, 2012, 09:52 AM EST

Yes, ‘Ireland’ is an Irish surname, just like 'English' is an English surname. The most famous person I know of with the ‘Ireland’ name is Stephen Ireland who plays soccer in the English Premiership these days with Aston Villa. He’s the guy who told fibs as to why he couldn’t turn up for an Irish International match: first it was ‘cos his maternal grandma died, changed to paternal grandma, both found untrue then changed to grandad’s wife who had died, again untrue, all which he later admitted were lies. Some way for him to gain notoriety, eh? Fabulous footballer though and a great pity we lost him over the lying episode.

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blahblah | Dec 29, 2012, 10:45 PM EST

She's more American than Irish if she has to sue her parents to get rid of them. It's the American answer to everything. That and guns obviously.

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MichaelMcGrath | Dec 29, 2012, 09:13 PM EST

Anyway from her looks it is perfectly obvious that Aubrey is Irish:-)

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MichaelMcGrath | Dec 29, 2012, 09:10 PM EST

Yes, Niall, we have Councillor Billy Ireland here in Kilkenny and we would naturally not be amused were it to be suggested that he is not Irish

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Niall O'Dowd | Dec 29, 2012, 07:57 PM EST

Ireland is an irish name, it is quite common in Northern Ireland, it was bestowed on families who left Ireland and acquired the name overseas and then returned. Look it up on Google

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seanomelb | Dec 29, 2012, 05:12 PM EST

Born and raised in Ireland and never met anyone named "Ireland".

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2ndrepubalik | Dec 29, 2012, 03:50 PM EST

They say the hardest part of being a Parent is "letting go" - if this story is true then it certainly seems like Her Parents have a major issue here.As a Single Parent of Twin Daugthters of the same age ( I am Male) I recognise that I do not , and NEVER owned them - they were "on loan" in a way and my total responsibility but now they are Adults and responsible for thier own actions. On the issue of surnames - Ireland is not a common one here ( In Ireland) so it makes Me suspicious about the veracity of this story. I know Charles Bronson was married to a Jill Ireland and other people have surnames after Countries - where this originated from as a practice I do not now but Welsh ( Welch) , Ireland and England have been used before but not Scotland unless Scott or Scot is counted ! Any views - this is a real "Christmas" / Hol;iday time story - highly dubious.

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Bocktherobber | Dec 29, 2012, 02:35 PM EST

Did you really assume these people are Irish-American because of their surname? Where does that leave Irvine Welsh, who's Scottish, or Mike England, who happens to be Welsh? Meanwhile, Dawn French is of Welsh and English parentage while Karl Spain genuinely is Irish. Who knew?

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mreinhar2001 | Dec 29, 2012, 02:17 PM EST

I love RichardP's. handsome68's, and oldboreen's comments (and I wholeheartedly concur). The Kansas City Star online has the Dec 27, 2012 article that the Irish Central piece came from. The parents sound like they care alot about the girl and the girl sounds like she is doing well in school, but is seeking independence (she is at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music). The parents were right to to paying tuition, if the child did not want to be involved with them. (I wonder if she realizes how fortunate she is to have parents that can pay for all of her college tuition?)

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oldboreen | Dec 29, 2012, 11:50 AM EST

English is a common family name in parts of Ireland particularly in Munster. Can we therefore assume these families to be English? I rest my case!

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joan1954 | Dec 29, 2012, 11:39 AM EST

I think the parents were too lonely without their daughter but on the other side they were controlling if this article is totally true. Kids go out of state for school in order to grow-up and be responsible for their own actions. I think that is what the daughter wanted to do. She seems very level headed and I laud the university for giving her a full scholarship to finish her senior year. I do not believe they would have done that had she had mental issues. I think the parents were upset that she was breaking away from them.

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