The United Cajun Navy has been named in a defamation lawsuit by another volunteer rescue group.
The Cajun Navy 2016, a group founded after the Great Flood of 2016, is suing Todd Terrell and Brian Trascher, the president and vice president of the United Cajun Navy.
The Cajun Navy 2016 is led by President Jon Bridgers.
The “Cajun Navy” name traces back to Hurricane Katrina, when hundreds of civilian boat owners responded to a call by Sen. Nick Gautreaux to rescue citizens in New Orleans, according to the lawsuit.
According to the defamation lawsuit, Trascher and Terrell are accused of calling the Cajun Navy 2016 “scammers” and “imposters” and alleging that it is not a legitimate nonprofit.
The lawsuit alleges Terrell of once being part of the Cajun Navy 2016 group, but accuses him of being removed after he allegedly made unauthorized financial commitments and arranged media appearances without permission.
Terrell then founded the United Cajun Navy in 2018, according to the lawsuit.
The suit goes on to allege that Terrell and Trascher engaged in a yearslong defamatory social media campaign against the Cajun Navy 2016.
The Cajun Navy 2016 said some of those accusations against their group included money laundering, using stolen images to raise money, and calling the Cajun Navy 2016 “fake.”
According to the lawsuit, these defamatory statements were made during active disaster relief operations.
The Cajun Navy 2016 is seeking damages, stating that the group lost its standing in the community due to what it calls defamatory statements.
The group is also seeking lost wages and donations and claims severe emotional distress was caused.
WDSU has reached out to the United Cajun Navy for a statement regarding the lawsuit. At the time of this publication, a response has not been received.
READ MORE:Lawsuit says United Cajun Navy leaders launched yearslong smear campaign against Cajun Navy 2016
