Woman Pleads Guilty to Bomb Threat Against Hospital Providing Gender-Affirming Care to Youth

A Massachusetts woman pleaded guilty to making a bomb threat against Boston Children’s Hospital last year because it provided gender-affirming care to transgender youth. The hospital had been accused of performing genital surgeries on minors.

Catherine Leavy, 37, on Thursday, pleaded guilty to one count each of making a false bomb threat and intentionally conveying false or misleading information that a bomb was on the way to the hospital in August of last year, the DOJ announced yesterday. It was one of multiple bomb threats against the hospital following the accusations made in right-wing media outlets.

“There is a bomb on the way to the hospital,” Leavy threatened in the call to the hospital on August 30, 2022. “You better evacuate everybody you sickos.”

The hospital was locked down and a bomb squad was dispatched, but no explosive devices were found.

Authorities quickly traced the call to a phone subscribed in Leavy’s name, and further established the phone was in her home at the time of the telephonic bomb threat.

During a search of her residence two weeks after the threat on Sept. 15, the phone was seized and Leavy made incriminated statements about her involvement in the crime.

“In an on-scene interview with law enforcement, Leavy expressed disapproval of Boston Children’s Hospital on multiple occasions,” the DOJ said in a statement. “Leavy also admitted that she called in the threat to Boston Children’s Hospital on Aug. 30, 2022, but stated that she had no plan or intention to actually bomb the hospital.”

Leavy was taken into custody the same day.

The hospital received a barrage of criticism and multiple bomb threats after it was accused of providing genital surgery to minors.

Angela Kade Goepferd, the medical director of the Children’s Minnesota Gender Health Program in Minneapolis told The Advocaterecently that there is a misconception that medical care for transgender young people involves secret conversations behind parents’ backs or kids who are seen and immediately prescribed puberty blockers and hormones. Extremists claim that doctors are performing gender-confirmation surgeries on children when, in reality, none of those things are the case.

Gender-affirming care has been a part of medical education and treatment for decades. It is based on established standards of care shown to have positive mental health and well-being outcomes.It’s important to understand that gender-affirming care is “regular” medical care, Goepferd noted.

Leavy faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 if convicted on both counts and the sentences are served consecutively.