Former teacher gets 5 years in prison after threatening judge over pro-parental rights ruling

A homosexual former teacher has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for threatening a judge over her decision against a challenge to Florida’s parental rights in education bill.

(Article by Matt Lamb republished from LifeSiteNews.com)

“U.S. District Judge William F. Jung today sentenced Stephen Jay Thorn (66, Pensacola) to five years in federal prison for transmitting a threat to harm a federal judge and members of the judge’s immediate family,” the Department of Justice announced on August 28. “Thorn entered a guilty plea on May 16, 2024.”

Pro-LGBT news outlets have reported Thorn is gay.

Thorn reportedly left the hateful messages for Judge Wendy Berger, who had ruled against a challenge to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022. The law generally forbids teachers from discussing sexual topics with students in grades kindergarten through third. The bill has been modified to allow for some discussion of sexual topics, drawing criticism from parental rights groups, LifeSiteNews previously reported.

Dishonest media outlets and opponents have labeled it the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

Thorn was angry that Berger ruled against a challenge and left threatening messages in 2022.

“Let’s see how you would like it if somebody endangered your children in school or your grandchildren in school,” Thorn said, as reported by Reuters. “You are an embarrassment to the judicial system.”

“Thorn said he had looked up where the judge, her husband and two children lived and said the judge was ‘very easy to track,’” Reuters reported.

“I’m a retired teacher. I’ve taught in Florida. I’ve taught in California. I have seen the sheer hell those kids are put through and you have the gall to say that’s part of middle school or high school is to be picked on,” Thorn said in his voicemails, WFLA reported.

The Florida outlet also reported:

“This is for that stupid redneck, ****, judge, [redacted],” Thorn said in one message. “You are a cruel person. You think that it’s okay for LGBTQ kids to be bullied, which is what that law is allowing, that’s what it’s saying that they’re second-class citizens. Listen dumb***, you’re easy to track you down.”

Thorn added, “I’m not a vindictive person and I wouldn’t hurt anyone just like you’ve hurt a whole community, thousands of LGBTQ kids in the state of Florida, a state of 22 million people, you ******* vicious ****.”

In his apology letter, Thorn said he overreacted and should have waited. He also said he used to advise LGBT clubs in school and has an adult son who is homosexual.

He wrote:

I realize now that rather than react to one of her rulings rashly and angrily immediately after reading a
newspaper article about her ruling, I should have waited a minimum of 72 hours to make my point with
her in a polite and professional manner, instead of handling it the way I did.

I am not attempting to justify my overreaction to her ruling, but please understand it was not coming from a place of malice in my heart and/or mind. I don’t feel this is necessarily the time or the place to go into my reasons for leaving her the voicemail message I did, but suffice it to say I spent a large portion of my teaching career advocating for LGBTQ+ public school students, and volunteering for LGBTQ+ youth advocacy organizations in both Florida and in California. I am also the parent of two adult sons, one of whom is gay. Consequently, this factored into my overreaction, as well.

Prosecutors sought 30 months in prison, but Judge Jung doubled the sentence.

“Threatening harm against public officials, or their families, is an intolerable offense,” U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg stated in the news release. “My office takes such threats seriously and is committed to investigating and federally prosecuting anyone who threatens this sort of violence.”

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