Some bakeries have refused to make wedding cakes for same-sex weddings because their religious beliefs prohibit them from taking part in the celebration. If a private business owner refuses to sell a product to people because they plan to use it in a ceremony they religiously disapprove of, are they engaging in discrimination?

An emergency room physician, Betsy, knows that one of her patients, Steve, is going to die in the next day or so. Steve is not religious in any way and Betsy believes that unless people have faith, they will suffer eternal damnation. The hospital has a rule against medical professionals trying to spread their faith among patients, but Betsy believes the importance of Steve's eternal wellbeing outweighs the importance of hospital rules.

Many states make use of work prisons where prisoners "volunteer" to work and then receive a wage. Does this constitute exploitation of prisoners or is it necessary to reduce the high cost of the criminal justice system and help prisoners gain work skills? Is it ethical for a private company to pay workers in prison less than workers outside prison? Is it ethical for private companies to earn a profit from prison labor?

Amidst growing concern about undermining herd immunity, Vermont banned the use of philosophical, but not religious, exemption to the vaccination requirement for public school students. Do parents have a moral duty to vaccinate their kids? Is there a morally significant difference between deeply held secular and religious beliefs?

People from underprivileged socio-economic backgrounds are sometimes arrested and jailed for failure to pay their legal fees or fines for low-level offenses. Under what circumstances is it morally permissible to put people in jail for failing to pay their debts? How does the fact that those imprisoned tend to be undereducated minorities who are in some cases suffering from mental illness?

Angel works full time but struggles to make ends meet, and Mark attends an expensive private college. Is it morally permissible for Angel to use his friend Mark's school ID to swim in the pool for free?

The US has a strict policy of not paying ransoms for hostages because it incentivizes the taking of hostages and funds terrorism. Is it morally justifiable the government to enforce this policy on private citizens who try to pay ransoms? Is it immoral for families to pay ransoms?

Is it morally permissible for employers to ask about criminal history on an application? Is it morally permissible for the state to prevent employers from asking about criminal history on an application?

Should transgender care be covered under Medicare and Medicaid? Is there a morally relevant difference between treatment of gender dysphoria and other physical conditions? How does the morality of a cis and trans women's desire to have breast implants differ?

Should nursing mothers have to cover themselves while breastfeeding in public places? When should business owners have a right to control the types of behaviors, like breastfeeding, that are allowed in their businesses?

Tom has been twice cited for underage drinking and if he receives one more citation, he will lose his much-needed scholarship to college. While drinking with Kevin, Tom badly cuts his hand and then asks Kevin not to call for help. Should Kevin call for help or defer to Tom's judgement?

The editor of the high school's newspaper learns that a community service group has not functioned according to school rules: they awarded service hours in exchange for money raised. The leader of the club expresses regret and asks the editor not to publish the allegations because they will hurt his chances of college admission. How should the editor weigh her journalistic responsibilities against a student's right to privacy?

Millions of tons of electronics are discarded each year and end up in developing nations, where they hurt the environment. Is it morally permissible for nations to sell potentially hazardous e-waste to willing buyers in developing nations? Do manufacturers have a moral obligation to create products with longer lifespans, even if they would earn less money as a result? How should manufacturers, governments, and consumers solve this problem?

Should the curator of a burning art museum risk his life to rescue anything? If so, he can either save the Mona Lisa or an unconscious museum visitor. How does the value of art and a person compare?

During a match, a black soccer play responds to racist chants with an "unpleasant gesture." He was suspended for two matches and the area where the most vocal fans sit was closed. Are athletes obligated to act professionally in the face of racist chants? Is it fair to punish a large number of fans because of the actions of a few?

AltSchool is a for-profit school AND tech company. It collects data on enrolled students for research and the development of operating system for education that it will market to schools. However, this technology may further inequality since it is too expensive for many schools. Should schools partner with tech companies? Should schools conduct research on students?

The ALS "Ice Bucket Challenge" raised millions of dollars for ALS research but drew criticism for encouraging "slacktivism." Furthermore, ALS is much rarer and more difficult to treat than diseases like malaria. Is it unethical for a charity to solicit more donations than it needs or for donors to give to charities when the money could be better used elsewhere?

A deaf couple decides to use preimplantation genetic diagnosis to select for a deaf child so they can be in a better position to parent the child. Is it morally wrong to select for a disability? Are they harming their child if the alternative is that embryo remains frozen?

Given that minors are directly affected by political decisions, should the voting age be lowered to 16? On what should the right to vote depend?

The city of San Francisco and philanthropists payed around $105,000 to fulfill the dream of a 5-year old with leukemia to be Batman for a day. Was this contribution morally permissible, given that the money could have been used elsewhere to much greater effect? Should we allocate our money to produce the greatest good for the greatest number? A case borrowed from the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl.