A 34-year old man is facing a federal charge in Massachusetts after he made anti-LGBTQ threats against the dictionary and reference company, Merriam-Webster, Inc.
According to the US attorney’s office for the District of Massachusetts, Jeremy David Hanson of Rossmoor was arrested and charged with one count of interstate communication of threats to commit violence.
Merriam-Webster faces threats for its definition
The Los Angeles Times reported that Merriam-Webster– which is based in Springfield, Massachusetts– received threats in its “Contact Us” page and comment section for the word entries “girl” and “woman.”
According to the criminal complaint, the threats demonstrated “bias against specific gender identities,” with Hanson identified as the person making the threats between October 2-8.
Hanson reportedly told the company had “caved to the cultural Marxist” agenda by changing the “definition of a female as part of the Left’s effort to corrupt and degrade the English language and deny reality.”
Because of this, Hanson said the company’s headquarters should be “shot up and bombed.”
“It is absolutely sickening that Merriam-Webster now tells blatant lies and promotes anti-science propaganda. There is no such thing as ‘gender identity’,” Hanson threatened.
He added, “The imbecile who wrote this entry should be hunted down and shot.”
Merriam-Webster offices close due to threats
Due to Hanson’s threats to bomb Merriam-Webster, their offices in Springfield and New York City had to close for about five days after.
Hanson was later arrested on Tuesday, April 20. Following an initial appearance in federal court in the Central District of California, he was able to post bail and was released from custody.
He later appeared before US District Court Magistrate Judge Katherine Robertson in federal court in Springfield on April 29.
A conviction will mete Hanson a maximum sentence of five years in a federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of US$250,000.
Prosecutor to go after Hanson
Prosecutors believe that the threat against Merriam-Webster is related to other threats made against others, like the American Civil Liberties Union and Amnesty International, according to the LA Times.
US Attorney Rachael Rollins said, “Hate-filled threats and intimidations have no place in our society.”
“We believe Hanson sent a multitude of anonymous threatening and despicable messages related to the LGBTQ community that were intended to evoke fear and division,” Rollins added.
Meanwhile, Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division, said: “Everyone has a right to express their opinion, but repeatedly threatening to kill people, as has been alleged, takes it to a new level.”