Crime

Texas man sentenced after threatening Boston doctor over trans healthcare

Matthew Jordan Lindner was sentenced to three months in prison and three years of supervised release after he called a doctor’s workplace and tried to contact previous employers repeatedly.

By Emily Spatz

1 minute to read

A Texas man was sentenced in Boston federal court Thursday for threatening a doctor at the Boston-based National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center. 

Matthew Jordan Lindner, 39, of Comfort, Texas, was sentenced to three months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of interstate transmission of threatening communication in December 2023. He was also ordered to pay restitution of $2,986, according to a press release from the office of the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts.

Lindner was facing up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, Boston.com reported in December.

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Lindner called the health education center on Aug. 31, 2022, after coming across “inaccurate information” online about procedures Boston Children’s Hospital was performing for gender nonconforming children, according to the release. 

Lindner left a threatening voicemail threatening one of the doctors and the center, saying “You suck motherf*****s, you’re all gonna burn. There’s a group of people on their way to handle [victim]. You signed your own warrant, lady. Castrating our children. You’ve woken up enough people. And upset enough of us. And you signed your own ticket. Sleep well, you f****** c***.”

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Lindner tried to contact the victim multiple times after his initial call to the health center, even attempting to call the doctor’s former medical practice and the university where the doctor was a faculty member. 

“Imagine the terror of having your life threatened for just doing your job. Matthew Lindner accosted a physician for doing exactly that, and in doing so instilled unnecessary fear in the medical community,” said Jodi Cohen, special agent in charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Hateful, repulsive, and threatening behavior like this has no place here, and today’s sentence demonstrates that we won’t stand for criminals terrorizing innocent people. Nobody should have to fear becoming the target of vitriol-fueled violence.”

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