Woman sues Navy Blue Angels, claims jets terrorized dying cat, military silenced her online

SEATTLE — A woman has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, claiming that the jets’ performances led to the death of her cat and when she spoke out against the group on its Instagram account, blocked her, silencing her.

Lauren Ann Lombardi filed the complaint on July 21 in U.S. District Court.

The suit was filed against the squadron’s officers in their official capacities, KIRO reported.

The filing starts, “This is the story of a heart-wrenching emotional loss needlessly compounded by unapologetic Constitutional violations. When a beloved family member was terrorized by the United States Navy’s Blue Angels, an American citizen exercised her Constitutional right to criticize her government’s role in her daughter’s suffering.”

Lombardi, through her attorney said that her cat Layla, which is referred to as “a beloved family member” and “daughter” in the legal filing, “died after enduring yet another sonic insult during her final days on Earth, the Navy’s Constitional betrayal compounded the tragedy — an American remained silenced, unable to voice her grief or otherwise hold her government accountable for its role in her family’s suffering."

You can read the entire lawsuit here or below.

The cat had congestive heart disease, and according to Lombardi, it became ill when the F/A-18 jets flew low over the area in August 2023 and 2024, KIRO reported. She said the cat had panic attacks and elevated its heart rate, eventually leading to euthanasia in August 2024.

She said that the noise from the aerial demonstrations not only affected her cat, but it also affected about 74,000 residents of Puget Sound, citing a study that said noise levels from the events are high enough to affect a person’s health. It also allegedly affects the behavior of marine life, such as orcas.

Lombardi then posted what KIRO called “profanity-laced criticisms” and a petition to stop the demonstrations, the Blue Angels blocked her on its official Instagram page.

The complaint said that her being blocked prevented her "from commenting, receiving information, or participating in public discussions on the page,” and that “This action violates her First Amendment rights by suppressing criticism of government conduct.”

She is asking the court to unblock her and to prohibit the Blue Angels from blocking users based on their views.

Lombardi is also demanding that Navy personnel have First Amendment training. She is also asking for legal costs.

KIRO contacted the Blue Angels for comment on the suit.

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