Ethics Case Library

The following ethics cases, written by middle school and high school students, can be used in classrooms and other ethics forums.

Any middle school or high school student from anywhere in the world can help build the library by submitting a case. For more information, see the Case Writing Project page.

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Accommodations on Board: Are They a Moral Obligation?

Valerie Wang, age 14
Liberal Arts and Science Academy, Austin, Texas
2025

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AI in College Admissions: Algorithmic Acceptance?

Robert Wei, age 16
Princeton Day School, Princeton, New Jersey
2025

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Are Private Schools Inherently Unethical?

Melina Mickelson, age 14
Cleveland STEM High School, Seattle, Washington
2023

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Artists and Their Political Views

Aliya Muhametzanova, age 14
Gymnasium No. 175, Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia
2024

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Assessing the Ethics of Group Projects

Seryeong Jo, Kate Allison, Klair Allision, ages 17
TMI Episcopal School, San Antonio, Texas, USA
2024

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Balancing Safety and Privacy: Parental Access to Children’s Social Media Accounts

Madison Shen, age 14
Harvard-Westlake School, San Marino, California
2024

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Behind the Bikini: Who’s Accountable?

Avery Mangan and Sara Pierre, age 18
Allen D. Nease High School, Ponte Vedra, Florida
2025

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Data Collection Ethics

Shawn Zhu, age 16,
Downingtown STEM Academy, Downingtown, Pennsylvania, USA
2024

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“Dear Grandma”

Katherine MacKay, age 14
Kent Place School, New Jersey, USA
2024

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Defacing Art as a Form of Protest

Claire Cherrill, age 15
Kent Place School, Summit, New Jersey
2023

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Ethnolinguistic Nationality

Kieran Batchelli-Hennessey, age 16
Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, San Francisco, California
2025

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Evaluating Historical Figures Through a Contemporary Lens

Joonyoung Heo, age 16
Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, New Hampshire
2023

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Honesty v. Loyalty Among Friends

Sophia Galova, age 18
Langley High School, Langley, Virginia
2023

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How public is public land?

Bella Welch, age 18
Ingraham High School, Seattle, Washington, USA
2024

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Informed Consent in Survey Research

Daliya Rizvi, age 18
Langley High School, Langley, Virginia
2023

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Is Euthanasia Ethical?

Mason Cheng, age 17
American Heritage Broward, Plantation, Florida
2023

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Is it beneficial for teachers to be armed in school?

Tovah Leathersich, age 15
Uwharrie Charter School, Asheboro, North Carolina
2024

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Is Note-Sharing In Class Unethical?

Crichton Rockwell, age 14
The Harker School, Los Gatos, California
2024

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Is Social Media a Good or Bad Thing?

Yu-Ming Liu, age 16
Henry M. Gunn High School, Palo Alto, California
2024

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Like, Study, and Share?

Katherine MacKay, age 15
Kent Place School, Basking Ridge, New Jersey
2025

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Lock boxes in Schools: Solution to Cellphone Distraction or Infringement on Autonomy?

Charles Lugo, age 15
Staples High School, Westport, Connecticut
2025

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Meat Without Harm?

Ayushi Wadhwa, age 15 years old
Kent Place School, Summit, New Jersey
2025

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Philharmonic or Fun?

Benjamin Shewmaker, age 13
Stevens Cooperative School, Hoboken, New Jersey
2025

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Pirates on the Web

Kleo Rrodastani and Sayan Bhattacharya, age 18
Allen D. Nease High School, Ponte Vedra, Florida
2025

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Relying on Civilian Intelligence in the Russo-Ukrainian War

Zachary Lin, age 17
Huron High School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
2023

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Respect for the Dead: Displaying Human Remains in a Museum

AKW, age 16
Ballard High School, Seattle, Washington
2023

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Returning History: The Ethics of Artifact Repatriation

Juley Guan, age 16
American Heritage Broward, Plantation, Florida
2025

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Revenge in Major League Baseball: Should MLB Issue Harsh Penalties for Beaning Batters?

Niall Rubin, age 12
Woodstock Union Middle School/High School, Woodstock, Vermont, USA
2024

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Scroll, Swipe, Sleep?

Lakshya Yadav and Aarush Reddy Vurady, age 17
Allen D. Nease High School, Saint Johns, Florida
2025

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Should Artists’ Ethics Affect Our Artistic Judgments?

Nikki Gao, age 16
Academy at Palumbo, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2023

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Should developing countries prioritize economic growth or environmental preservation?

Suvid Bordia, age 15
The Pingry School, Short Hills, New Jersey
2025

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Should Influencers be Sponsored by Businesses

Valerie Wang, Age 14
Liberal Arts and Science Academy, Austin, Texas
2025

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Should Judges Be Active on Social Media?

Diana Valiullina, age 16
Gymnasium No. 175, Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia
2024

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Should Science Media Have Political Stances?

Emma Zhang, age 17
Branham High School, San Jose, California, USA
2024

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Should the Military Recruit in Schools?

AKW, age 16
Ballard High School, Seattle, Washington
2023

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Should We Watch True Crime Dramas?

Claire Cherrill, age 15
Kent Place School, Summit, New Jersey
2023

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The Benefits and Harms of Gene Editing

Prudence Frein, age 16
Haverford High School, Havertown, Pennsylvania
2023

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The Ethics of AI in Warfare

Agnut Asfir, age 17
River Islands High School, Lathrop, California, USA
2025

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The Ethics of a Cashless Society

Sammy Lou, age 17
Trinity Preparatory School, Winter Park, Florida, USA
2024

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The Ethics of Fast Fashion

Henry Russell, Age 14
Tandem Friends School, Charlottesville, Virginia
2025

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The Ethics of Favoring Donor Families in College Admissions

Sehwan Park, age 17
Saint Paul Preparatory, Seoul, Republic of Korea
2024

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The Ethics of Private College Advisors

Chloe Archibald, age 15
Ramaz Upper School, New York, New York, USA
2024

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The Ethics of Tipping

Mason Cheng, age 17
American Heritage, Plantation, Florida
2023

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The Ethics of Unintentional Wrongs

Keane Miller, age 12
The Evergreen School, Shoreline, Washington
2025

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The Ethics of Using Facial Recognition Technology

Jennifer Tang, age 15
Huron High School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
2023

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Throwing Stones at a Plastic House

Lily Simmer and Sanjana Kamalraj, age 17
Allen D. Nease High School, Ponte Vedra, Florida
2025

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Using AI in the Classroom

Avi Skuben, age 13
Astra Nova School
2023

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Web Proxies in Schools

Julien Bryzek, age 15
Bergen County Technical High School Teterboro, New Jersey
2024

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