SHOCKING: State Jails Nuns Over Transgender Rules

Person in orange jumpsuit sitting behind bars, head down.

Catholic nuns who have devoted 125 years to providing free end-of-life care for impoverished cancer patients now face jail time and fines up to $10,000 for refusing to comply with New York’s gender identity mandates that violate their religious convictions.

Story Snapshot

Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne filed federal lawsuit against New York State after being forced to affirm gender ideology or face closure of their free palliative care facility
Rosary Hill Home has zero complaints in four years while serving 42 terminally ill cancer patients annually without accepting any government funding or insurance payments
New York law exempts Christian Science facilities from compliance but denies the same religious protection to Catholic institutions
Sisters risk fines, license revocation, and up to one year in jail for maintaining Catholic teachings on gender and sexuality in their charitable mission

Century-Old Mission Threatened by State Mandates

The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne operate Rosary Hill Home in Westchester County, a 42-bed facility dedicated exclusively to terminally ill cancer patients who cannot afford care. Founded in 1900 by Rose Hawthorne Lathrop, daughter of author Nathaniel Hawthorne, the order has maintained an unwavering commitment to serving the “dying poor” with dignity and compassion. The facility accepts no insurance reimbursements or government funding, relying entirely on donations to provide completely free palliative care. This unique model has earned recognition, including praise from the New York Times Magazine in 2016 for the sisters’ tender attention to grooming, fresh linens, and comfort in patients’ final days.

On April 6, 2026, the sisters filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against Governor Kathy Hochul and state health officials. The lawsuit challenges New York’s 2023 Long-Term Care Facility Residents’ Bill of Rights, specifically Section 2803-c-2, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity and expression. A March 2024 letter from the state Department of Health demanded the sisters implement mandatory training on “Affirming Care for Older LGBTQIA+ Individuals” and adopt policies affirming gender identity. The sisters requested a religious exemption on March 5, 2026, but received no response from state officials, forcing them to seek federal court protection.

Perfect Record Contrasts with Government Overreach

Between February 1, 2022, and January 31, 2026, Rosary Hill Home received zero complaints from residents or families—a stark contrast to the more than 55,000 complaints filed against other New York nursing facilities during the same period. This flawless track record demonstrates the sisters’ exceptional care standards and contradicts any suggestion that their religious principles compromise patient welfare. Mother Marie Edward, the order’s General Superior, emphasized that the state mandates “violate our Catholic values” and threaten the facility’s very existence. Sister Stella Mary, the home’s administrator, reaffirmed their vow to honor their foundress by ensuring dying patients are served comfortably in their final days.

The lawsuit highlights a glaring inconsistency in New York’s enforcement of the anti-discrimination law. While the state demands strict compliance from the Catholic sisters, it grants religious exemptions to Christian Science-affiliated facilities, allowing them to operate according to their faith principles without penalty. Martin Nussbaum, the First and Fourteenth Amendment attorney representing the sisters, called this disparity “disappointing” and discriminatory. The Catholic Benefits Association, which is providing legal support, argues that forcing the sisters to affirm ideologies contrary to their beliefs violates both free speech and religious exercise protections guaranteed by the Constitution.

Broader Implications for Religious Liberty

The legal battle extends beyond one nursing home, potentially setting precedent for religious institutions nationwide that face increasing pressure to conform to state-mandated gender ideology. If New York succeeds in forcing compliance, the sisters face fines ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 per violation, possible license revocation, and criminal penalties including up to one year in jail. Such punishment for nuns who have dedicated their lives to charitable service represents what many see as government overreach targeting people of faith. The case tests whether state anti-discrimination laws can override federal constitutional protections when religious institutions receive no public funding and maintain spotless service records.

The potential closure of Rosary Hill Home would eliminate free palliative care for dozens of terminally ill poor patients annually, forcing them into the overburdened public healthcare system or leaving them without dignified end-of-life support. Across the political spectrum, Americans increasingly recognize that unelected bureaucrats enforcing ideological mandates on charitable organizations serving the most vulnerable represents the kind of government failure that erodes trust in institutions. Whether one supports LGBTQ+ rights or religious liberty, the spectacle of threatening century-old charitable work with criminal prosecution over policy disagreements—while exempting favored religious groups—reveals the selective enforcement and unequal application of law that fuels widespread frustration with the administrative state.