Man Pleads Guilty After Threatening to Bomb Merriam-Webster Over Gender Definitions

Jeremy David Hanson pleaded guilty to making hate-fueled threats against the publishing company over its updated definitions of "woman" and "girl."

The U.S. Department of Justice building in Washington, D.C.
Getty

Image via Getty/Liu Jie/Xinhua

The U.S. Department of Justice building in Washington, D.C.

A California man is facing years behind bars after threatening to bomb Merriam-Webster over its updated gender definitions.

According to the Department of Justice, 34-year-old Jeremy David Hanson pleaded guilty to the charges in federal court last week, about five months after he was arrested for sending hate-fueled messages to the publishing company. Prosecutors say the Rossmoor resident expressed outrage over the dictionary’s decision to include gender identity in its definitions of “woman,”“girl,” and “female.”

“You [sic] headquarters should be shot up and bombed,” he allegedly wrote in October 2021. “It is sickening that you have caved to the cultural Marxist, anti-science tranny [sic] agenda and altered the definition of ‘female’ as part of the Left’s efforts to corrupt and degrade the English language and deny reality. You evil Marxists should all be killed. It would be poetic justice to have someone storm your offices and shoot up the place, leaving none of you commies alive.”

Less than a week later, Hanson posted the following comment on Merriam-Webster’s website:

I am going to shoot up and bomb your offices for lying and creating fake definitions in order to pander to the tranny mafia. Boys aren’t girls, and girls aren’t boys. The only good Marxist is a dead Marxist. I will assassinate your top editor. You sickening, vile tranny freaks.

In response to the threats, the publishing company reportedly closed its NYC and Springfield, Massachusetts offices for five days.

According to the DOJ, Hanson also admitted to sending threatening messages to various lawmakers and companies, including NYC Mayor Eric Adams, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Walt Disney Co., and toy-maker Hasbro. 

“Hanson also admitted that he frequently selected the object of his threatening communications because of the gender, gender identity and/or sexual orientation of various persons,” the DOJ wrote. 

The man pleaded guilty to one count of threatening violence over interstate communications in connection to the Merriam-Webster case. He pleaded guilty to a similar offense, originally filed in the Eastern District of Texas, for threats made against the University of North Texas president.

Hanson reportedly faces up to five years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for early 2023.

Latest in Life