Case Study: Applying an Ethical Theory

WEEK THREE WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT CASE STUDIES

For this week’s written assignment, you are provided with 6 Case Study Topics

and resources related to the topics. To successfully complete the case study, make

sure to read the assignment instructions. Of special note here is that in this

assignment, you must formulate an ethical question related to the topic. It’s a good

idea to revisit the topics for last week’s written assignment to get an idea of what a

well-formulated ethical question looks like.

As you work on formulating your own ethical question for the topic you chose,

take some time to think about a narrow and focused question, and above all, make

sure that the question includes a moral term or phrase such as “should” “duty”

“must” “obligation” “is it moral” “is it immoral?”

You must use two resources both of which can be from the provided resources, but

you may also include your own. Note that the resources provided with the topics

are links and that they need to be put into proper APA format. Consult this

resource APA: Formatting Your References List in the Writing Center for

assistance with this. If you haven’t yet done so, it is recommended that you

download the APA Word document Template from the Writing Center which is

“pre-formatted” and can be used for all your papers

https://writingcenter.uagc.edu/introduction-apa (make sure to delete the current

content in the body of the paper; it is also recommended to delete all but the first

item on the reference page, inserting your references after the first item on the

page, then deleting the first reference.)

#1 WHISTLEBLOWERS

Whistleblower laws protect employees and individuals who have knowledge of

harmful or illegal activities from being retaliated against. Cases that fall in this

topic range from Edward Snowden to Mark Felt who was the secret informant in

the Watergate case that eventually led to Nixon’s resignation. When choosing this

topic, make sure to formulate the ethical question either on the rights of companies

or government agencies to keep proprietary information secret, or the right or duty

of employers or individuals to be protected from retaliation for revealing harmful

or illegal activities.

https://blog.coxwelllaw.com/famous-whistleblower-cases-in-the-us/

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/28/whistleblower-fda-baby-formula-

00028569

https://globalpeacecareers.com/magazine/whistleblowing-ethics-is-

whistleblowing-ethical/

#2 DESTROYING A HIJACKED COMMERCIAL PLANE

In the hours after 9/11, fighter jets scrambled into the air en route to destroy one of

the hijacked planes headed for the capitol. When choosing this case, make sure to

focus on formulating an ethical question that identifies a specific ethical issue such

as whether (fill in the blank) is moral, or whether there is a duty to (fill in the

blank). For additional resources, type “Destroying a Hijacked Commercial Plane”

into the search engine in the library.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/september-11-flight-93-fighter-pilots-mission/

https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/1955624/8-things-

you-may-not-know-about-our-air-defense-on-911/

#3 FREE SPEECH AND RACISM

Free speech is a hallmark of American society and the subject of the very First

Amendment in the Constitution. Throughout our history, various cases of free

speech have been challenged and some limits have been placed on this right. In

recent years, the right to free speech has been called into question in cases

involving the use of free speech to protect racist or hate speech. When choosing

this case, take some time to formulate your ethical question and make sure that it

has a specific and narrow focus. It’s a good idea for the ethical question to ask

whether (fill in the blank with content from the specific case) is moral. For

additional resources, type “Free Speech and Racism” into the search engine in the

library.

https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2023-19650-001.html

http://www.freespeechhistory.com/2020/08/21/episode-41-free-speech-and-

racial-justice-friends-or-foes/

#4 SHERRIFS DISOBEYING THE LAW

Sheriffs take an oath to follow, abide by and enforce the law. Recent years have

seen an uptick in instances of sheriffs, either on their own or as a group, passively

or actively broadcasting their intent to not follow a law they disagree with or

believe to be unconstitutional. When choosing this topic, make sure to focus on a

specific case and to include something about the duty of sheriffs in the ethical

question you formulate.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/74-illinois-sheriffs-departments-vow-defy-new-

state/story?id=96384352

https://www.npr.org/2019/02/21/696400737/when-sheriffs-wont-enforce-the-

law

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/arizonas-sheriff-joe-arpaio-officially-charged-

with-criminal-contempt/

#5 EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Early Childhood Education encompasses a broad time span ranging from infancy

to first or second grade. The age ranges of children in early childhood education

makes for very different ethical issues. Many of these issues arise because of

requests or concerns on the part of parents such as parents requesting their infant

not have an afternoon nap to parents requesting their child stay indoors due to

allergies or fear the child may be hurt. When choosing this topic, make sure to

focus on a narrow and specific issue such as indicated in these two examples.

https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/eceleadership/chapter/current-issues-in-

the-field-of-early-childhood-education/

https://www.proquest.com/docview/197691341?accountid=32521

#6 RELIGIOUS BELIEFS IN THE WORKPLACE

After the Affordable Care Act passed, the for-profit Holly Lobby corporation sued

the government on the basis of the religious beliefs of its owners who did not

believe in birth control. Hobby Lobby won the lawsuit and was granted an

exemption from that portion of the ACA which included employee-covered birth

control. In a related case, a Colorado baker won a lawsuit that was brought against

him by a homosexual couple when the baker refused, on the basis of his religious

beliefs, to bake a wedding cake for the couple. In other cases in this general topic,

doctors, government employees, and healthcare providers have brought or been the

target of lawsuits when they refuse to or are forced to provide services that conflict

with their religious beliefs. When choosing this topic, note that it is easy to get

distracted by your feelings on this issue. Try to step back from any strong feelings

you have and approach the topic by narrowing in on a specific right or duty or

obligation and whether it is moral to grant or deny a right or duty or force a

specific behavior.

https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/issues/birth-control/burwell-v-hobby-

lobby#:~:text=Hobby%20Lobby%20ruling%2C%20on%20June%2030%2C%202

014%2C%20the,five%20or%20fewer%20people%20own%20more%20than%205

0%25.

https://www.proquest.com/docview/20145908

10/D0DF6C2495654F4BPQ/8?accountid=32521

https://www.proquest.com/docview/2682503813?accountid=32521