Court rejects ex-F-14 woman pilot's case

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- A federal appeals court Friday refused to re-instate a defamation suit brought by one of the Navy's first two women combat pilots.

Retired Navy Lt. Carey Dunai Lohrenz had sued the Center for Military Readiness and its founder, Elaine Donnelly, for labeling her incompetent and contending she and another woman carrier pilot were allowed to meet lower standards than men in the mid-1990s for political reasons.

The lawsuit also named News World Copmmunications, doing business as The Washington Times, United Press International's sister corporation, among others.

Though News World Communications settled with Lohnrenz before the conclusion of the process, a federal judge later dismissed the suit against the remaining media, and ruled for the remaining defendants without hearing argument, saying Lohrenz was a public figure, and the appeals court panel affirmed that ruling Friday.