Jeremy David Hanson, 34, has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to threatening violence against Merriam-Webster, a dictionary publisher, over their trans-inclusive language definitions.
In October 2021, Hanson sent threatening messages through the contact form on Merriam-Webster’s website, expressing anger at the dictionary publisher’s trans-inclusive definitions of the words “girl” and “woman”. He threatened to “shoot up and bomb” Merriam-Webster’s offices, claiming that they were “lying and creating fake definitions” to “pander to the t****y mafia”. Hanson’s threats led to the temporary closure of Merriam-Webster offices in Springfield, Massachusetts, and New York City to ensure staff safety.
Hanson was indicted in April 2022 and pleaded guilty in September to one count of interstate communication of threatening communications to commit violence against Merriam-Webster employees. According to prosecutors and law enforcement, Hanson’s threats against Merriam-Webster and others were driven by anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-trans bias.
US Attorney Rachael S Rollins said that she hopes Hanson’s sentence will demonstrate to the LGBTQ+ community that “this office will hold those who engage in threatening, hateful acts accountable”. Rollins added that “Hateful and bigoted acts, even if only spoken like those committed by Mr. Hanson, terrorize communities and are destructive to our society”.
Hanson’s attorney, Marissa Elkins, stated that he has significant mental health issues and that the conditions after he’s released should ensure he has the “treatment and resources he needs to never engage in this conduct again”. In addition to his threat to Merriam-Webster, Hanson also pleaded guilty to another charge of interstate communication of threatening communications to commit violence, related to an email he sent to the University of North Texas president in March 2022, in which he threatened to “start executing” university students and staff for supporting the trans community.
As part of his plea deal, Hanson also admitted to sending threats to Walt Disney Co, the governor of California, New York City’s mayor, a New York rabbi, professors at Loyola Marymount University, and others.
In a society where the fight for LGBTQ+ rights is ongoing, threats of violence and hate speech have no place. Hanson’s sentencing sends a clear message that such acts will not be tolerated and will be met with the full force of the law.