A Massachusetts woman has been sentenced to three years of probation for calling in a fake bomb threat at Boston Children’s Hospital. The incident occurred as the hospital faced a wave of harassment over its surgical program for transgender youths.
The woman pleaded guilty in federal court to charges, including making a false bomb threat. The threat was made in August 2022 during a period when the hospital was receiving numerous threats and experiencing harassment. Boston Children’s Hospital had recently launched the country’s first pediatric and adolescent transgender health program.
Authorities announced that the woman was sentenced last Thursday. Her attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The hospital came under scrutiny from far-right social media accounts, news outlets, and bloggers after informational YouTube videos about surgical offerings for transgender patients were discovered.
The caller threatened the hospital, stating, “There is a bomb on the way to the hospital, you better evacuate everybody you sickos.” The threat led to a lockdown of the hospital, but no explosives were found.
Initially, the woman denied making the threat during an interview with FBI agents. However, after being informed that phone records indicated the threat originated from her number, she admitted to making the call. She claimed she had no intention of actually bombing the hospital but expressed disapproval of the hospital on multiple occasions during the interview.
Boston Children’s Hospital is one of several institutions providing medical care for transgender kids that have been targeted with threats. Medical associations reported an increase in security measures at children’s hospitals nationwide, with some providers requiring constant security and collaboration with law enforcement.
