Woman Claims She Was Blocked From Complaining on the Team’s Instagram Account

The US Navy’s demonstration team is facing a lawsuit from the owner of a 14-year-old cat, claiming that jet noise inflicted “state-sanctioned acoustic torture” in the feline’s final days. The woman argues that her First Amendment rights were violated when she was blocked from complaining about the matter on the Blue Angels' Instagram account.

The federal lawsuit, filed July 21 by Lauren Ann Lombardi of Seattle, accuses Navy Commander Adam Bryan, Blue Angels public affairs officer L. Ben Bushong, and an unnamed social media manager of First Amendment violations. Lombardi says she was blocked from posting comments on the Blue Angels’ Instagram account, but only after repeatedly criticizing the team’s high-decibel flights over Seattle during their August 2023 airshow.

According to the complaint, Lombardi’s 14-year-old cat Layla suffered from congestive heart disease. When the Blue Angels took to the skies in their F/A-18 Super Hornets, which can top 700 mph and generate deafening sound levels, Layla reportedly cowered in terror beneath furniture. Her condition worsened until she was euthanized on August 11. Lombardi described the jet noise as so overwhelming that it consumed her cat’s attention span entirely, leaving her in a constant state of fear.

In response, Lombardi took to the Blue Angels’ Instagram account, posting comments that ranged from the words of a concerned citizen to some less filtered expressions of frustration. Her messages included statements like “F--- off” and “Nobody gives a f--- about your stupid little planes,” and she also promoted a Change.org petition titled We All Want to Feel Safe: No More Blue Angels Over Seattle.

When her access to the account was cut off, Lombardi claimed it was a clear case of government censorship. The lawsuit refers to the Instagram moderators as “thin-skinned bureaucrats” who "muzzled" her and prevented the public from seeing her “legitimate grievances.”

While she notes she supports the military in general, Lombardi is seeking a court order requiring the Blue Angels to unblock her, mandating First Amendment training for those involved, and compensation for legal expenses.

FMI: www.blueangels.navy.mil