Man charged with threatening doctor for providing care to trans patients

A Texas man has been charged with threatening a Boston doctor for providing medical care to transgender patients and gender-nonconforming children.

On Friday, the US attorney’s office in Massachusetts said Matthew Jordan Lindner, 38 and from Comfort, Texas, was arrested and charged with one count of transmitting interstate threats.

Lindner is alleged to have harassed and threatened to kill a doctor at the Fenway Institute, an interdisciplinary center that focuses on the health of sexual and gender minorities, the statement said.

According to charging documents, Lindner called the Boston-based National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center on 31 August this year and left a threatening voicemail that targeted an affiliated doctor who is also part of Fenway Institute.

“‘You sick motherfuckers, you’re all gonna burn,” the voicemail said. “There’s a group of people on their way to handle” the doctor in question, who was said to have “signed your own warrant” by “castrating our children. You’ve woken up enough people. And upset enough of us. And you signed your own ticket.”

The voicemail also told the doctor to “sleep well” and called them an obscene name.

A day before the alleged threats, Boston Children’s hospital received a bomb threat via a threatening phone call, according to authorities.

In the weeks leading up to the bomb threat, the hospital was the target of anti-LGBTQ+ far-right harassment, including debunked claims about its treatment of transgender youth and graphic language posted online by extremist campaigns that claim that the hospital offered complex gender affirmation surgery to minors.

The US attorney Rachael S Rollins said: “Mr Lindner’s alleged conduct – a death threat – is based on falsehoods and amounts to an act of workplace violence. The victim …should be able to engage in this meaningful and necessary work without fear of physical harm or death.

“And although the doctor is clearly a victim, Mr Lindner’s threat is rooted in a hatred of the LGBTQ+ community and the families, friends and people that love and support them. They are victims too.”

Joseph Bonavolonta, special agent in charge of the FBI in Boston, said: “While everyone has a right to express their opinion, they don’t have a right to use or threaten violence against individuals who do not share their same set of beliefs.

“This case is unfortunately one of many others that illustrates FBI Boston’s commitment to thwarting potential violent incidents motivated by hate and bias and holding the individuals behind them accountable.”

The charge of transmitting interstate threats carries a prison sentence of up to five years, up to three years of supervised release and a maximum fine of $250,000. According to the US Attorney’s Office, Lindner will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.