In a dramatic turn of events, Anne W. Breaud, a New Orleans resident, has filed a $1 million-plus federal lawsuit against Mayor LaToya Cantrell, her chief of staff, and eight members of the city police department. The suit alleges civil rights violations and defamation after Breaud was falsely accused of stalking the mayor.
Background of the Case
Earlier this year, Mayor LaToya Cantrell accused Breaud of stalking, resulting in a state court lawsuit and an initial protective order against Breaud. However, the lawsuit was later dismissed, and Cantrell was ordered to cover Breaud’s legal expenses.
Details of the Lawsuit
Breaud’s lawsuit, filed on Friday, accuses Cantrell of falsely claiming that Breaud followed and harassed her. It also alleges that Cantrell’s chief of staff and police department members improperly accessed state and federal information about Breaud.
The Incident that Sparked the Litigation
The conflict began in April when Breaud took two photographs from her French Quarter apartment balcony. The images showed Mayor Cantrell and her police bodyguard, Jeffrey Vappie, dining and drinking at a restaurant across the street. Breaud sent these photos to the Metropolitan Crime Commission, which spurred controversy over Cantrell’s personal relationship with Vappie.
Claims and Allegations
Breaud’s lawsuit contends that Cantrell falsely accused her of distributing the photos to local media and of stalking. The lawsuit states:
“While Cantrell falsely painted herself as the victim of a pattern of stalking, harassment, and intimidation by Breaud, it is Cantrell who has engaged in a pattern of harassment and character assassination against Breaud, a person wrongly accused by Cantrell of stalking solely because Breaud captured a photograph of Cantrell and Vappie in a compromising position.”
Legal Violations
The lawsuit accuses the police defendants of illegally obtaining information about Breaud from state and national databases, which Cantrell and her chief of staff allegedly made public. It seeks a court finding that Cantrell and the other defendants violated Breaud’s civil rights, including her Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure, federal privacy and computer fraud laws, and defamation.
Damages Sought
The lawsuit demands $500,000 in actual damages for emotional stress, litigation costs, and time lost defending against Cantrell’s allegations. $500,000 in punitive damages and additional unspecified damages for alleged state law violations
