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Ethical Issues: The Case Of Cassandra Vs. Connecticut

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The case of Cassandra vs Connecticut state is about Cassandra, a teenager from Connecticut, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer. Cassandra refused to get chemotherapy for Hodgkin lymphoma deeming the treatment itself as poisonous. Casandra’s mother, Jackie Fortin gave up on convincing her daughter to get chemotherapy and respected her decision. So, Cassandra and her mother often missed their medical appointments. Cassandra’s doctor reported Casandra’s mother, Jackie Fortin, to Department of Children and Families for neglecting her child for avoiding cancer treatment which would be highly fatal to Cassandra. So, Cassandra was taken from her mother’s home to be placed under state’s custody. Then, Connecticut’s supreme took …show more content…

Kant’s deontological ethics states that an action should be done with good will and for the sake of duty. In this case, Cassandra’s mother, Jackie Fortin allowed daughter to take her medical decision after attempting to convince her daughter who wasn’t mature enough understand chemotherapy was not as dangerous as cancer. According to Kant’s deontology, Cassandra mother, Jackie was morally wrong for allowing her immature daughter Cassandra to make her medical decision because Cassandra didn’t understand that chemotherapy could save her life and perceived it as being poisonous only and Jackie gave in to Cassandra’s decision after trying to convince her daughter while she could seek help for her daughter. This indicates that Cassandra’s mother was not morally wrong but also illogical because she was letting her daughter die when she could be cured. Because of Jackie Fortin’s incompetence in convincing her daughter, state got custody of Cassandra from her mother after Cassandra’s doctor reported that Jackie was neglecting Cassandra. Then, Cassandra’s decision about chemotherapy was made by the supreme court of Connecticut. Connecticut’s supreme court ruled in favor of the state, authorizing the state to force Cassandra to get the treatment. Cassandra was strapped to the bed and forcefully given treatment going against her wishes. Analyzing states' action from the Kant’s deontology state didn’t have ill will to do any harm to Cassandra neither did they have any selfish motive behind forcing her to getting chemotherapy. This shows that the states’ action can be justified by Kant’s deontology because the state was forcing Cassandra to get

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