Trans Youth Surgery Center in Lockdown After Bomb Threat

Clear Facts:

• Catherine Leavy pleaded guilty to calling in a fake bomb threat to Boston Children’s Hospital amidst an influx of harassment towards its transgender youth surgical program.
• The hospital launched the nation’s first pediatric and adolescent transgender health program and has been the subject of significant focus and critique from far-right entities.
• Leavy, facing a maximum penalty of 10 years, claimed she had no intention of actually bombing the hospital but expressed disapproval of it on multiple occasions.

Boston Children’s Hospital, pioneering with the nation’s first health program aimed at pediatric and adolescent transgender individuals, recently became a target.

Catherine Leavy from Westfield, Massachusetts, is in the spotlight after admitting to contributing to the tense environment surrounding the medical institution.

Leavy pleaded guilty to making a false bomb threat to the renowned hospital, known for its surgical program dedicated to transgender youths. The call for the threat came amidst the hospital experiencing a barrage of harassment and threats.

The hospital underwent lockdown procedures following the threat; however, no explosives were discovered.

This bold act by Leavy did not go unnoticed. The local authorities arrested her last year at her residence, leading her to face charges in Boston federal court. The severity of these charges is undeniable, with the most serious one bearing a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Her sentencing is scheduled to occur in March.

Leavy, during the initial stages, denied her association with the threat when confronted by FBI agents. However, after being confronted with phone records that indicated her number was used to make the threat, she admitted to her actions.

According to prosecutors, she insisted she had no real intentions of bombing the hospital. Despite this claim, she “expressed disapproval” of the hospital’s practices “on multiple occasions.”

The threat levied by Leavy was unequivocal. The caller stated, “There is a bomb on the way to the hospital, you better evacuate everybody you sickos,” as per the court documents.

This threatening call came as the hospital found itself at the crosshairs of far-right social media accounts, news outlets, and bloggers, post the release of informational YouTube videos about its surgical offerings for transgender patients.

Boston Children’s Hospital isn’t the sole institution providing medical care for transgender kids that’s been confronted with threats.

Last year, medical associations reported an upsurge in security measures at children’s hospitals nationwide due to the rise in threats. Some providers even found themselves in situations necessitating constant security, collaborating extensively with law enforcement to maintain safety.

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