A Seattle woman is taking the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels to court, alleging they violated her First Amendment rights by blocking her from commenting on their Instagram account after she criticized their aerial performances for allegedly subjecting her cat to ‘acoustic torture.’ The lawsuit, filed in July 2024, claims the Blue Angels’ high-speed flights, which take place near Puget Sound, produce extreme decibel levels that are harmful to both humans and animals. The complainant, Lauren Ann Lombardi, argues that the noise from these demonstrations caused severe distress to her cat, Layla, leading to its death in August 2024 after suffering from congestive heart disease. The lawsuit names Navy Cdr. Adam Bryan, public affairs officer L. Ben Bushong, and an unnamed social media administrator as defendants, accusing them of muzzling a citizen and preventing the public from witnessing legitimate grievances against the government.
According to the complaint, the Blue Angels conduct their aerial shows in the Seattle area every August using F/A-18E/F Super Hornet jets, reaching speeds of up to 700 mph. The noise levels from these high-speed performances are described in the lawsuit as being on par with a ‘military occupation,’ resulting in what the plaintiff calls ‘acoustic torture.’ Lombardi had previously expressed her concerns on social media, tagging the Blue Angels’ handle on other accounts and linking to a Change.org petition calling for an end to the demonstrations. However, she was eventually blocked from commenting on the squadron’s Instagram page, preventing her from further expressing her grievances. The lawsuit claims that this censorship amounted to a violation of her constitutional rights, as she was effectively silenced from criticizing the government’s actions.
Lombardi’s messages showed her frustration with the noise levels from the performances, with one message stating: ‘Stop with your F—— b——- you are terrorizing my cat and all the other animals and wildlife,’ and another reading, ‘F— off’ and ‘Nobody gives a f— about your stupid little planes.’ She had also sent a direct message to the Blue Angels, calling them ‘cowards,’ but it was never delivered because she was blocked. The lawsuit emphasizes that Lombardi respects and supports the U.S. military, and her criticism is focused on the ‘environmental and Constitutional harms caused by their demonstration practices and subsequent censorship activities.’
Her request for a court order includes forcing the Blue Angels to unblock her from the Instagram account, ordering the defendants to undergo remedial First Amendment training, and awarding her the cost of attorney’s fees. A spokesperson for the Blue Angels stated that the squadron does not comment on pending litigation. The case has sparked a broader discussion about the balance between public safety, national security, and the rights of individuals to critique government actions, particularly in the context of military demonstrations that can have environmental impacts on nearby communities.