New Orleans Mayor Faces Shocking Stalking Accusations, Fires Back with $1 Million Defamation Lawsuit

A New Orleans resident, Anne W. Breaud, filed a $1 million federal lawsuit on Friday against Mayor LaToya Cantrell, her chief of staff, and eight city police officers, alleging civil rights violations and defamation. Breaud claims Cantrell falsely accused her of stalking and harassment, with city officials unlawfully accessing her personal information. Earlier this year, Cantrell filed a state lawsuit against Breaud, but it was dismissed, and Cantrell was ordered to cover Breaud’s legal fees. The present lawsuit names Cantrell, her chief of staff, the city, the police department, and several officers. The controversy began after Breaud photographed Cantrell and a now-retired police bodyguard, Jeffrey Vappie, at a restaurant, which she sent to the Metropolitan Crime Commission. Cantrell accused Breaud of distributing these and other photos, which Breaud denies. Vappie was recently charged with wire fraud for allegedly filing false payroll documents and lying to the FBI about his relationship with Cantrell. Breaud’s lawsuit accuses the police of illegally accessing her data and claims Cantrell and her staff publicized it. The suit seeks a judicial declaration that Cantrell and the others violated Breaud’s civil rights and Fourth Amendment protections, along with federal privacy and computer fraud laws. Breaud seeks $500,000 in actual damages and $500,000 in punitive damages, plus other unspecified damages for state law violations. Both the police department and the city declined to comment, pending further court filings.

Original Story https://www.livemint.com/news/new-orleans-mayor-accused-her-of-stalking-now-she-s-filed-a-1-million-defamation-suit-11722019964106.html
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