Alessa v. Phelan

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF MARYLAND LILIAN ALESSA, * Plaintiff, * Civ. No. DLB-21-0924 v. * JOHN PHELAN, et al., * Defendants. * MEMORANDUM OPINION Dr. Lillian Alessa asserts defamation claims based on the statements of two employees of the United States Navy (“Navy”), Todd R. Boone and Captain Edward A. Westfall. Alessa worked with Boone and Westfall when she served as an advisor and program manager for a Navy initiative related to big data and national security. In 2019, the Navy terminated the program and Alessa’s employment. Alessa claims that, leading up to…