SEATTLE, July 25, 2025 — A Seattle woman is suing the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels, alleging her First Amendment rights were violated when she was blocked from the flight demonstration squadron’s Instagram account. Lauren Ann Lombardi filed the federal lawsuit July 21, claiming she was silenced for complaining about the noise from their aerial shows.
Woman Sues Blue Angels After Instagram Block
A Seattle resident claims the Navy’s flight demonstration team violated her free speech rights by blocking her from commenting on their Instagram posts.
- A Seattle woman is suing the Blue Angels and Navy officials.
- The lawsuit alleges infringement of First Amendment rights after she was blocked from the squadron’s Instagram.
- Her complaints focused on the noise from aerial performances, which she said terrorized her cat.
- She seeks to be unblocked, First Amendment training for defendants, and attorney’s fees.
The lawsuit targets Navy Cdr. Adam Bryan, public affairs officer L. Ben Bushong, and an unnamed social media administrator. Lombardi contends the Blue Angels’ F/A-18E/F Super Hornet jets, performing at speeds over 700 mph near Puget Sound, create “state-sanctioned acoustic torture.”
Complaints About Noise and a Beloved Pet
Lombardi stated she was exercising her right to complain to the government about its actions via social media. Her advocacy was for her elderly cat, Layla, who had congestive heart disease. Lombardi aimed to stop the August 2023 and 2024 demonstrations.
She posted messages expressing frustration over the noise. One comment read, “Stop with your F—— b——- you are terrorizing my cat and all the other animals and wildlife.” Other posts included “F— off” and “Nobody gives a f— about your stupid little planes.”
Lombardi also promoted a Change.org petition titled “We All Want to Feel Safe: No More Blue Angels Over Seattle.”
On August 5, 2023, after being blocked, Lombardi sent a direct message calling the squadron “cowards.”
The Impact on Layla
The lawsuit described Layla’s suffering in her final days. “Whatever bandwidth Layla’s walnut-sized brain could previously gorge upon had been narrowed to a single overwhelming frequency: pure debilitating terror,” the complaint stated.
It further detailed: “Every August was good until then, but no August would ever be the same again. Layla’s condition continued to deteriorate and she left home again, for the final time. She spent her last week fighting for her life in a specialty hospital before being humanely euthanized on August 11, 2024, surrounded by her inconsolably grieving family. Layla’s final days on Earth were marred by sadistic suffering — cowering in terror beneath furniture while her ailing heart struggled against the Blue Angels’ relentless noise pollution. Layla died knowing only fear when she should have known only love.”
Seeking Redress and Education
Lombardi emphasized her support for the U.S. military. Her grievances, she stated, focused on the “environmental and Constitutional harms caused by their demonstration practices and subsequent censorship activities.”
She is asking the court to compel the Blue Angels to unblock her Instagram account. Additionally, she requests that the named defendants receive remedial First Amendment training and that she be awarded attorney’s fees.
A spokesperson for the Blue Angels stated the squadron does not comment on pending litigation.
