A California woman has just been indicted on federal charges after she allegedly threatened to kill an elderly nun and blow up the church at a Catholic girls school for being too accepting of LGBTQ people.
According to court documents filed this week, shortly after Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, a private girls school in Washington, D.C., announced it would begin including same-sex wedding announcements in its alumnae magazine, a nun who graduated from the school in 1948 received terrifying phone calls.
Sonia Tabizada has been charged with making threats against the school, which was founded in 1799 and serves about 500 students in grades 9-12.
The calls came in the wee early hours of May 15, 2019, two days after the school issued a letter saying it would begin recognizing the marriages of its LGBTQ alumna.
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“We reached this decision as a school and Monastery leadership after much prayerful consideration and thoughtful dialogue,” the school had said in the letter.
“The Church is clear in its teaching on same-sex marriages, but, it is equally clear in its teaching that we are all children of God, that we each have dignity and are worthy of respect and love.”
It was a welcome mark of progress for many. But not all.
At 5:15 in the morning, Tabizada allegedly called the nun and said that “sinners” must be kept “separate” and that if the school didn’t immediately remove LGBTQ people from its magazine she would burn down their church.
“Hey motherf*ckers, I’m going to burn that f*cking church, I’m going to bomb it, b*tch!” Tabizada allegedly threatened. “I’m going to f*cking kill you guys. I’m going to send my f*cking soldiers, motherf*ckers.”
She continued, “Remove the f*ckig gay motherf*ckers from your magazine, or I’m going to f*cking kill your kids. That’s a promise.”
One minute later, Tabizada allegedly called back, this time to say: “What kind of pervert priests do you guys have running the show? Nobody cares for those girls? You’re crushing the innocent, motherf*cking a**hole!”
“I’m gonna f*cking blow up the school and call it a mission from God. You guys are going to get terrorism within your f*cking school, motherfucker. And you’re going to be guilty. And I warned you!”
To make matters even stranger, Tabizada isn’t even an alum of Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School. Nor does she live in Washington, D.C. She’s from California.
“It’s an out of the ordinary case,” her attorney, Carmen Hernandez, says.
Hernandez went on to say her client was being “a little overcharged” and noted that her client has pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
Of course, voicemails and phone records usually don’t lie. But everyone is entitled to their day in court, right?
“There’s no allegation that she took any action or did anything to attempt to carry out the threats,” said Hernandez. “It’s not like she cried fire in a crowded theater.”
The school has declined to comment on the situation.
Chrisk
It’s no secret that religion attracts loonies like flies to shit so this shouldn’t be that big of a surprise.
DCFarmboy
Did you notice that in this case, the VICTIMS are a Catholic nun and a Catholic school. The BIGOT is of unknown religion or an atheist.
Vince
Yeah because atheists have nothing better to do than to Bash nuns for their lack of religion religious belief. Lol ?
TonyoQ313
DCFarmboy. — the bigot is a Christian and likely lapsed Catholic with more baggage than L.A.X. and J.F.K. combined!!
wikidBSTN
There are many people of faith – like this nun and this preparatory school, who really do believe in the message of Christ’s love and abhor when Christ is used as a weapon and not a shield. LGBTQ people like myself have a LOT of reasons to see religious people and institutions as enemies, but we should be careful not to paint all of them with the same brush. And we should not let the bigots and loonies win ANYWHERE – whether in the private or public spheres or in religion. They need to be challenged wherever they exist, even if some of us don’t care about the places or institutions they infest. So, kudos to this religious community and I hope they prevail over this hateful lunatic.
frankcar1965
Yes but these Christians will turn on you like a mountain Lion. NEVER trust a Christian, they always have ulterior motives. They are the scourge of the Earth.
RichNYC
Frank, I am a Christian. Never mix up the concept of Christianity and Gods love with what passes for organized religion in much of the world,
domen8r
Jeebus Christy, this is some bad news writing and an atrocious headline. Does Queerty have no editors? Besides being an alum of the school, how is the unnamed “elderly nun” associated? How did the caller select her to harass? Why is the recipient, not the institution, “blamed” for the inciting article’s announcement of policy change? Why is she the subject of the oddly-syntaxed article and misleading headline (no where does the article clarify the call recipent’s beliefs coincide with the school’s policy, though there is nothing wrong with the policy as it is briefly stated). Perhaps less verbatim quotes from the harassing transcript and more about the MO of the harasser—less sensationalistic, but more informative. At any rate, mebbe this mess of “coverage” might inspire some Googling into better reporting and some support for the school after this unfortunate chain of events.
Kangol2
@Domen8r:
Besides being an alum of the school, how is the unnamed “elderly nun” associated?
From the article: “[A] nun who graduated from the school in 1948 received terrifying phone calls.”
AND:
“At 5:15 in the morning, Tabizada allegedly called the nun and said that ‘sinners’ must be kept ‘separate’ and that if the school didn’t immediately remove LGBTQ people from its magazine she would burn down their church.”
The right-wing, homophobic nutcase called the elderly nun, who’s an alumna of the school, and issued threats of violence and death against her, the convent and the school.
Besides being an alum of the school, how is the unnamed “elderly nun” associated?
She was the target of the harassment, which was meant for her and everyone associated with running the school.
How did the caller select her to harass?
Who knows, but she was selected, so she’s mentioned in the article.
Why is the recipient, not the institution, “blamed” for the inciting article’s announcement of policy change?
Because the right-wing anti-gay fanatic nutcase picked her as the target.
radiooutmike
DCFarmboy–
If the caller is that upset over a school on the other side of the continent over an LGBTQ policy; they are most certainly Christian, if not Catholic.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
The Orange Puppet and it’s appointments and misadministration are the main reason for the upswing in rampant homophobia and hatered in this country.
The examples are countless. If it manages to be reelected we will be in a very bad position. RBG’s health is tenous at best. Unless the Dems somehow capture the Senate most of the gains we have made in the last twenty years are doomed…
TonyoQ313
It’s EXACTLY Like hollering “Fire” in a crowded theater!