When writing the article about pseudonymous lawsuit, I noticed that pseudonyms don’t have to be mainstays like Doe and Roe. Or are deliberately common names like John Smith. Instead, they can either be puns or referenced to well-known (and possibly topically related) works. Three are in particular that come to my mind.
- Hester Prynne v. Settle, 848 F. App’x 93 (9th Cir. 2021), plaintiff challenging the sex offenders registry laws (hence allusion to The Scarlet Letter).
- Carol, Marie & Joseph Danvers v. Loudoun County School Bd., No. 1:21-cv-01028-RDA-JFA4 (E.D. Va., Sept. 13, 2021. A sexual assault case. The high school student plaintiff is named Ms. Marvel/Captain Marvel and the pseudonyms of her parents match those of Ms. Marvel.
- Femedeer v. Haun, 227 F.3d 1244, 1246 (10th Cir. 2000), the plaintiff challenging a sexual offender notification statute. I believe Femedeer may be a pun on Doe, which is deer and a feme.
Is there any additional examples? (I know that #2 is a grim case and that it’s not easy to believe, but this seems like something the plaintiff considered meaningful and positive.