CASE Library
Explore The Issues that Matter.
We excitedly invite you to browse, search, and explore our newly redesigned library of over 300 case studies which render some of the most complex and controversial moral and political issues of our time. These cases were formerly used for official NHSEB competitions at the Regional, Divisional, and National Championship levels. They are freely available for public use under Creative Commons licenses.
The NHSEB Case Library is an excellent tool for competitive preparation, internal or intramural competition, or beyond the context of the Ethics Bowl activity completely—as a classroom resource for Grades 9-12 and beyond.
Featured Cases
NAVIGATING THE LIBRARY
NHSEB’s Case Library is now fully browsable by individual case, or by Case Set—using the filters below. Or, if you already know a bit about what you’re looking for, the entire library of over 300 Ethics Bowl cases is newly indexed, referenced, and searchable by title, topic, keyword, year, and category. Each individual case entry contains the full text of the case and discussion questions as they originally appeared for competitive use, all references assembled in hyperlinked footnotes, and additional contextual resources curated by NHSEB HQ.
CASE SET COLLECTION
REGIONAL CASE SETS
2023-2024 | 2022-2023 | 2021-2022 | 2020-2021 | 2019-2020 | 2018-2019
2017-2018 | 2016-2017 | 2015-2016 | 2014-2015 | 2013-2014 | 2012-2013
National CASE SETS
2023-2024 | 2022-2023 | 2021-2022 | 2020-2021 | 2019-2020 | 2018-2019
2017-2018 | 2016-2017 | 2015-2016 | 2014-2015 | 2013-2014 | 2012-2013
FIND AN ETHICS BOWL CASE
ATTRIBUTION AND CITATION
All National High School Ethics Bowl cases are the intellectual property of the Parr Center for Ethics, and all are freely available for public use under Creative Commons licenses once retired from use in NHSEB competitions. This library represents thousands of hours of work from our Contributing Authors, Editors, and others. Please do not reproduce NHSEB cases or sets—in part or in whole—without attribution, or modify the text of individual cases or sets. If you reproduce or make reference to NHSEB cases from this library (e.g., in classroom materials, academic papers, etc.), please attribute and/or cite those materials:
National High School Ethics Bowl (Ed.), <YEAR>. “<Case Title>.” National High School Ethics Bowl Case Library. UNC Parr Center for Ethics: Chapel Hill, NC. http://nhseb.org/case-library
Browse The Library
To Pledge or Not to Pledge?
Aria believes the institution of college Greek life is incompatible with her desires to address racial injustice and promote female empowerment. However, she feels the community it could bring would improve her mental heath––maybe she could even use the sorority's substantial audience to promote change from the inside. To what extent is Aria obligated to sacrifice personal satisfaction for the betterment of her community?
“Just” Discrimination?
Female gold Olympic medalist, Caster Semenya, has a medical condition called hyperandrogenism. This causes her testosterone levels to be higher than that of an average female. Officials see this as an unfair advantage and force her to lower her levels 6 months before competition. This seems odd given that they are implying Semenya has too much talent, when talent is neccessary for this level of competition. Should it be permissable for officials to control Semenya's levels?
Pride, Inc.
WorldPride planned to be held in conjunction with NYC's annual Pride festival. Lots of LGBTQ members saw this as just a way for companies to profit off of a group that they don't even agree with or truly support, so there was an alernate event held. Many companies provide sponsership to events like these, meanwhile they contradict themselves with also aiding other entities that are anti-LGBTQ, giving members of the community a reason to believe the companies are solely here for their own profit. Although, as these events become increasingly popular, it gets harder and harder to refuse any help from mega-corporations. Should the mega-corporations financial aid enough in this social justice movement?
Feminist Choice
Brandy was just accepted to law school but isn't sure if she should attend. She also deeply wants to be a stay-at-home mother, and she and her partner want to have children right away. She is deeply divided by these two options but her friend Wynona thinks it's obvious that Brandy should go to law school. If she didn't, she would throw away an important opportunity, she would be wasting her talents, and she would be betraying feminists who fought to expand opportunities for women. What values are at stake in this debate? Is the decision about what career path to pursue a purely personal decision?
HR Confidential
A HR representative knows an employee of their company has a record of reports of sexual harassment and is seeking employment at a friend's company. Should the HR employee illegally inform their friend of information that they would not otherwise have access to? Is it acceptable to violate company rules to bring about a morally desirable outcome? Is it fair to alter behavior towards someone accused of something even if they aren't found guilty?
Appearance at the Office
Maria's parents think that she would be more respected and appreciated at her new job if she bought new clothes and spent more time and money on her appearance. Maria has little interest in and money for this. She also resents the gender roles that govern workplace politics and expectations. But she does want recognition for her work. Should Maria follow her parent's advice? How far is it appropriate for an individual to go when modifying their behavior to follow norms they consider unjust?
Gender and Sports
Should there be such a binary division between men's and women's sports competitions? How should trans or nonbinary people enter competitions?
What’s Your Age Again?
Aubrey, a 19 year old, accidentally goes on a date with a 14-year-old who lied about her age when Aubrey asked. Given that the 14-year-old looked young in her dating profile, did Aubrey have a moral obligation to ask for proof of her age? How much caution should Aubrey have to take in his dating life?
Dating a Friend’s Ex
In what circumstances is it morally permissible for Logan to date his close friend Alex's ex-girlfriend? Alex tells Logan pursuit of the relationship amounts to a betrayal. Is this a morally permissible reaction?
Army Hairstyles
2014 updates to US Army appearance and grooming protocol prohibit hairstyles that are common among African American women. Critics called the changes racially biased while supporters claim are necessary to maintain uniformity. To what extent should the military maintain uniformity versus embrace ethnic diversity?