An anonymous bomb threat made to the Boston Children’s Hospital on Aug. 30 is currently under an ongoing federal investigation, according to the Boston Police Department.
The hospital received the threat following weeks of targeted harassment for the alleged gender-affirming surgery of transgender minors by the hospital.
The hospital posted a tweet stating, “Boston Children’s does not — and will not — perform a hysterectomy as part of gender-affirming care on a patient under the age of 18.”
In a press release from the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement, the office wrote they are cooperating with law enforcement to ensure the safety of the healthcare professionals and patients.
The day after the threat was made, the hospital tweeted, “We remain vigilant in our efforts to battle the spread of false information about the hospital and our caregivers. We are committed to ensuring the hospital is a safe and secure place for all who work here and come here.”
Prior to the bomb threat, the hospital tweeted on Aug. 16 that they hired more security, as there had been a rise in online harassment toward staff members through phone calls, internet activity and emails implying violent behavior.
The false bomb threat was made by a woman from Westfield, Massachusetts named Catherine Leavy, 37, according to the District of Massachusetts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Federal agents started to monitor threats made against the hospital and its employees in August.
“[Leavy] was arrested this morning at her home in Westfield and, following an initial appearance this afternoon (Sept. 15),” the report read. “The caller allegedly said, ‘There is a bomb on the way to the hospital, you better evacuate everybody you sickos.’”
The Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement wrote gender-affirming care gives young people confidence and makes social transitions easier.
“These incidents have only strengthened our support and deepened our resolve to make Boston a welcoming, equitable, and inclusive community for everyone,” the Office wrote.
