Nuns Fight New York Law Threatening Their End-of-life Care Services

WHO:

IJR - The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, a group of Catholic nuns, are involved in the legal challenge.

Fox News - Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, is supporting the nuns.

Fox News - Kim Hermann, president of the Southeastern Legal Foundation, and Kerry Wachter, president of the Massapequa school board, are mentioned in relation to the broader context of legal challenges.

WHAT:

IJR - The Justice Department has entered a legal battle supporting the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne against a New York law.

Fox News - The nuns argue that the New York transgender law could lead to fines, loss of their operating license, and other penalties if they do not comply.

Fox News - The fines for non-compliance with the New York transgender mandate could reach up to $2,000 per violation, increasing to $5,000 for subsequent violations.

Fox News - The law could also result in court-ordered forced compliance, loss of licensing, and up to one year in prison with fines up to $10,000.

Fox News - The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne have provided free palliative care to indigent cancer patients for over a century.

WHERE:

IJR - The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne operate a home for dying cancer patients in Westchester County, New York.

Fox News - The New York transgender mandate is applicable to long-term care facilities across New York.

WHEN:

Fox News - The New York transgender mandate was signed into law on November 30, 2023.

Fox News - The lawsuit filed by the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne was initiated on April 6, 2026.

Fox News - The reporting period referenced in the lawsuit spans from February 1, 2022, through January 31, 2026.

WHY:

Fox News - The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne claim that the New York law forces them to choose between their religious beliefs and their ability to provide care.

Fox News - Harmeet K. Dhillon stated that states cannot require individuals to abandon their religious beliefs in favor of gender ideology.

HOW:

Fox News - The New York transgender mandate requires facilities to assign rooms based on gender identity, allow access to opposite-sex bathrooms, and use preferred pronouns, among other stipulations.

Fox News - The lawsuit emphasizes that the New York State Department of Health received "zero complaints" from residents of the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne during the reporting period, contrasting with over 55,000 complaints against other nursing homes.

(UPDATED June 23, 2026 19:41 UTC)

The Justice Department is backing the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne in their legal challenge against a New York law that they argue could impose significant penalties, including fines and potential jail time, for non-compliance with transgender mandates. The nuns, who have been providing free palliative care to cancer patients in Westchester County for over a century, claim that the law forces them to choose between their religious beliefs and their ability to care for those in need. Support for the nuns comes from Harmeet K. Dhillon, who asserts that states cannot compel individuals to abandon their religious convictions in favor of gender ideology.