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Gay teacher sentenced to five years in prison for threatening Trump judge in 'Don't Say Gay' case

“Don’t Say Gay” protest in Fort Myers, Florida, March 6, 2022. Syndication The News Press Photo: Andrew West/The News-Press via USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK

A retired gay teacher who threatened a Trump-appointed judge over a ruling she made on the “Don't Say Gay” law was sentenced to five years in prison on Wednesday – twice the time prosecutors had sought.

The verdict was announced by U.S. District Judge William Jung for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa.

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Stephen Thorn, 66, was sentenced after pleading guilty in May to a single count of menacing for leaving obscene voicemails to U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger in Orlando.

Berger had rejected an appeal against Governor Ron DeSantis' “Don't Say Gay” law, which restricts discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida classrooms.

In the voicemails, Thorn claimed the judge had no idea what LGBTQ+ children go through and “basically gave the green light to treat them as second-class citizens and to bully them.”

Thorn said the judge and her family were “very easy to track down.”

“Let's see how you would feel if someone endangered your children or grandchildren at school,” the news said. “You are a disgrace to the justice system.”

Thorn submitted a letter of apology to the court before his verdict was announced.

“I sincerely apologize for any emotional distress this has caused this judge and/or her immediate family or staff,” Thorn wrote. “My intention was not to threaten her and/or her immediate family.”

“I have spent a large portion of my teaching career advocating for LGBTQ+ students in public schools and volunteering with LGBTQ+ youth organizations in Florida and California,” Thorn continued. “I am also the father of two adult sons, one of whom is gay, so that also contributed to my overreaction.”

District Judge Jung seemed unimpressed by Thorn's words and sentenced the teacher to the maximum penalty.

During his legal career, Jung has been appointed to various offices by Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, with his most recent appointment in 2018 being confirmed.

Prosecutors argued that Thorn's actions were an example of a growing tide of threats to the justice system.

According to the US Marshals Service and a Reuters report, the number of serious threats against federal judges has doubled from 224 to 457 in the past three years.

In March, Florida agreed to a settlement in a lawsuit related to the case dismissed by Judge Berger, allowing teachers freedom to discuss sexual orientation and gender identity in higher grades while keeping the ban in place in grades K-3.

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