Guilty Plea In Bomb Threat Against DC Private School: Report

GEORGETOWN, DC — Sonia Tabizada, 36, of San Jacinto, California pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to intentionally obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs by threatening to bomb Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, according to a U.S. Justice Department release.

School officials announced in May 2019 that they would begin publishing same-sex wedding announcements in its alumni magazine as a way to advance the teaching that “we are all children of God ... worthy of respect and love.” When Tabizada learned of this, she made multiple calls to the school, threatening violence, according to her plea agreement.

Tabizada also admitted that she left a message threatening to burn and bomb the church, and that she was going to kill school officials and students. She left an additional voicemail message stating that she would blow up the school and warned she wanted to commit "terrorism," according to the release.

“The defendant made violent threats against high school students, religious leaders, and school officials based solely on her disagreement with a private school’s application of religious doctrine,” said Eric Drieband, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, in the release. “Tolerance and religious freedom are cornerstone values in our society and the Department of Justice will continue to vigorously prosecute violent threats motivated by bias.”

Michael R. Sherwin, acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, described Tabizada's violent threats as an attack on the free exercise of the private school community's religious beliefs.

"An attack upon the free exercise of any person or group’s religious beliefs is an attack upon the civil rights of every citizen," he said. "Today’s guilty plea is part of my office’s commitment to ensuring that all District citizens can safely exercise their religious beliefs and that all of their civil rights are protected."

Tabizada faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. She will be sentenced at a March 23 hearing.

This FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendra Briggs of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Michael J. Songer.