Transgender couple investigated in connection with the University of Pittsburgh bomb threats

April 15, 2012 9:19 AM

Two major campus dramas have intermingled at the University of Pittsburgh: ongoing bomb threats previously discussed on MeFi, and a new administrative policy banning trans people from using bathrooms or locker rooms that do not match their birth certificates, handed down after Pitt's Anti-Discriminatory Policies Committee held that the expulsion of a trans male student for using the men's locker room violated the university policy against discrimination based upon gender identity or expression. After discussions with the Pitt administration, the FBI questioned the trans man and his trans woman partner in connection with the bomb threats, and the two are now receiving threats themselves.
posted by DrMew (3 comments total)

Wow, who would have thought it possible, a new low in academic responses to trans issues.
posted by Blasdelb at 9:44 AM on April 15, 2012

federal agents investigating the ongoing bomb threats at the University of Pittsburgh questioned them for nearly three hours this week, and the couple has been ordered to appear in front of a federal grand jury Tuesday.
...
Johnston said two FBI agents spoke to him on Wednesday about the legal dispute. McCloskey said that when she asked, "I assume we are persons of interest in the bomb threats," one of the agents nodded yes.

Sounds like the FBI is pretty serious about these two. Why would you have someone testify before a grand jury if you didn't think they didn't think they had something to do with the case? My understanding is that with a grand jury, you're presenting evidence against a particular person (or maybe multiple suspects?). The grand jury doesn't just go out and investigate crimes when law enforcement doesn't know who did it, right?

It seems like it would be pretty unusual to bring someone before a grand jury if you didn't have any evidence against them, right?

That isn't to say the FBI or whatever doesn't make mistakes. Obviously they do, if you look at the Richard Jewel case, for example ... but there must be some serious suspicion about these two.

The expulsion thing seems really bizarre as well. I mean just totally off the wall. Normally when you're worried about trans people and bathrooms it's people born male in woman's bathrooms, not people born female in male bathrooms. And I mean the person's driver's license listed them as male It isn't like the person just up and decided that it would be cooler to use male locker rooms.

Really bizarre story all around.
posted by delmoi at 9:47 AM on April 15, 2012

What the what?

That bathroom policy is beyond absurd. Does Pitt plan on stationing someone in all bathrooms and locker rooms to check everyone's papers? Institutional bigotry is never more bizarre than when it starts bending over backwards in order to keep existing.
posted by EatTheWeek at 9:52 AM on April 15, 2012 [1 favorite]