A Texan man has admitted guilt in a federal court for threatening the life of a Boston-based physician specializing in the treatment of gender-nonconforming youth. Initially entering a not guilty plea, Matthew Lindner, 39, reversed his stance and pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transmission of threatening communication, as revealed in court records and a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts.
Lindner is part of a group facing charges related to violent threats against LGBTQ doctors and gender clinics. The surge in threats and harassment directed at Boston doctors followed a social media campaign by right-wing groups opposing gender-affirming care for trans and nonbinary youth. Federal prosecutors emphasized the inaccuracy of information circulating online.
According to prosecutors, on August 31, 2022, amid the online dissemination of misinformation about medical procedures at Boston Children’s Hospital, Lindner left a threatening voicemail at the Boston-based National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center for one of its affiliated doctors. In the voicemail, he ominously warned, “you’re all gonna burn” and stated that a group was en route to handle the victim, adding, “you signed your own warrant, lady.”
Following the threatening call, Lindner contacted the physician’s former medical practice and the university where she was a faculty member. Comfort, Texas resident Lindner, situated about 50 miles northwest of San Antonio, is scheduled for sentencing on February 6. Although he could face up to five years in prison, prosecutors, as part of a plea agreement, are recommending a three-month sentence.
Acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, Joshua Levy, condemned Lindner’s threat, calling it “deplorable” and asserting that it sends a chilling effect through the medical community. Levy highlighted the dedication of doctors serving pediatric patients, emphasizing that they should be celebrated for their contributions instead of facing threats for merely doing their jobs.
FBI’s Boston division Special Agent in Charge, Jodi Cohen, expressed the irreparable damage caused by Lindner’s “hateful, repulsive, and threatening behavior” to the physician. Lindner’s attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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In a separate case, Boston federal prosecutors charged Catherine Leavy of Massachusetts for making a fake bomb threat to Boston Children’s Hospital. Leavy, who pleaded guilty in September, is scheduled for sentencing on March 19.