City Councilor Julia Mejia files defamation lawsuit against website operator
Boston City Councilor Julia Mejia has filed a defamation and libel suit against the operator of a website who uses the brand name Turtleboy, alleging he knowingly published false statements about her last year and in 2021.
Aidan Kearney, who runs the website and social media accounts under the Turtleboy brand, is the sole defendant named in the lawsuit, which Mejia filed Wednesday in Suffolk Superior Court. In addition to the libel and defamation claims, the complaint also accuses Kearney of intentional infliction of emotional distress.
“The statements made by Turtle Boy about Councilor Mejia are defamatory and libelous,” her lawyer, Anthony R. Ellison, said Thursday in a statement. “Councilor Mejia is looking forward to her day in court, where we are confident that she will prevail and that there will be accountability for the untruths told by Mr. Kearney and the harm that he has caused as a result of those lies.”
The complaint addresses statements Kearney published about two incidents he says involved Mejia. Some of the statements refer to a murder scene in Boston in 2021. The other statements were published last month, and they refer to Kearney’s alleged attempts to question Mejia about accusations that she was involved in a drunken driving incident.
The complaint cites four tweets published by Kearney between Dec. 14 and Dec. 19 of last year, including one that describes a visit he made to Mejia’s home “to ask some questions about reports that she was involved in a DUI that was covered up by a rogue Boston cop.”
The statements were “knowingly false and made with malice as well as a total disregard of the truth,” Mejia’s complaint said.
The Globe has submitted requests to the city of Boston seeking records about the alleged incident cited by Kearney. Several requests are pending, and the Globe has not verified the reports. Boston police declined to comment Thursday.
In an e-mail, Kearney said he looks forward to “defending the First Amendment and the free press in court, as I always do.”
“It’s unfortunate that an elected official would try to use her power to silence an award winning journalist for reporting on matters of public concern that involve her,” said Kearney.
On his website, Kearney said he learned about the complaint after media coverage of the lawsuit was relayed to him. The news website Universal Hub was the first to report on Mejia’s complaint.
Attorney Marc J. Randazza, a free speech lawyer who has offices in Gloucester and Las Vegas, said he plans to defend Kearney against the complaint.
“Every journalist and every news publication in Massachusetts should recognize the existential threat that cases like this have on our ability to report on matters of public concern,” he said.
Asked for comment Thursday, Mejia responded in a text message. “I believe the complaint speaks for itself,” she wrote.
On Dec. 19, Mejia posted a three-minute video on YouTube during which she said she is under attack by white supremacists who are body-shaming her and falsely accusing her of being addicted to drugs.
Her lawsuit seeks a jury trial and requests monetary awards for damages, attorney’s fees and costs.
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