Overview
- The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne filed a federal suit in April 2026 to block New York’s LGBTQ/HIV long‑term care residents’ Bill of Rights from applying to their Rosary Hill hospice for the dying poor.
- The complaint says the law forces room assignments by gender identity, access to opposite‑sex bathrooms, use of preferred names and pronouns even when a resident is not present, recurring staff training, and a public notice pledging compliance.
- The sisters argue the mandates compel speech and conduct that violate Catholic teaching and seek both preliminary and permanent injunctions plus a ruling that the law is unconstitutional under the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
- They warn noncompliance can trigger fines of up to $2,000 per violation rising to $5,000 for repeat offenses, potential license loss, and up to one year in jail with fines up to $10,000 for willful violations.
- The suit also cites unequal treatment by pointing to a carve‑out for Christian Science facilities and notes their home reports no recent state complaints, while the health department declined comment and said it will follow the nondiscrimination law.