Prof Who Attacked Pro-Lifers Won’t Get Top Role At Notre Dame

Following backlash from Catholic bishops and pro-lifers, a pro-abortion professor at Notre Dame is no longer slated to lead one of its academic institutions.

Global affairs professor Susan Ostermann decided to turn down the school’s offer to lead its Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, according to a Thursday email from Mary Gallagher, dean of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs.

“Professor Susan Ostermann, a member of the Keough School faculty who was recently appointed director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, has decided not to move forward as director,” Gallagher wrote. “I am grateful for her willingness to serve and for the thoughtfulness with which she approached this decision.”

Ostermann will remain on the faculty at the Keough School.

The radical professor, as The Federalist reported, believes “that being pro-life has ‘its roots in white supremacy and racism,’ as well as being ‘embedded’ with misogyny.” She has also smeared pro-life pregnancy centers as damaging to women, calling them “anti-abortion propaganda sites.” She was announced to lead the Liu Institute in January.

The announcement swiftly met harsh backlash from 15 Catholic bishops and two cardinals, numerous campus groups, and national media scrutiny, who noted that the Catholic university is betraying its values and beliefs with such an absurd appointment. Ostermann also advanced the idea that Catholic teaching is actually supportive of abortion.

“These are all outrageous claims that should disqualify her from an administrative and leadership role at a Catholic university. I hope that Professor Ostermann will explicitly retract these claims, and I pray that she will have a change of mind and heart that will lead her to affirm the innate dignity of unborn babies as well as that of their mothers,” Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, who serves the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, said in a scathing statement criticizing Ostermann’s appointment. “Also disqualifying is Professor Ostermann’s work as a consultant for the Population Council. For those who have never heard of it, this is an organization dedicated to the promotion of abortion around the world.”

Despite the weeks of backlash, Notre Dame doubled down on its decision for Ostermann to lead the institute, running cover for her noxious beliefs, calling her a “deeply committed educator … well prepared to expand the Institute’s global partnerships and create impactful research opportunities that advance our dedication to serving as the preeminent global Catholic research institution.”

Ostermann released a statement, essentially saying that the community rejected her because there is not enough freedom of thought at Notre Dame, referencing “human dignity,” despite her belief that unborn babies should be killed. “It has become clear that there is work to do at Notre Dame to build a community where a variety of voices can flourish. Both academic inquiry and the full realization of human dignity demand this of us,” she said.

There was a protest planned for Friday against Ostermann’s appointment, and while now largely moot, Notre Dame sophomore Luke Woodyard said Notre Dame’s problems extend beyond Ostermann and the protest will still take place.

“This is great news, but although we won the battle, the war wages on. The fact that this pro abortion professor could ever be appointed signifies a much deeper Split between the students, deans, and administration,” he told The Observer, an outlet that covers Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s College, and Holy Cross. “The spirit in which we ‘March on the Dome’ was never just [Ostermann], it was making sure nothing like this shocking appointment is ever tolerated at Notre Dame.”

As The Federalist has reported, Notre Dame has waffled on its relationship with its Catholic mission and identity for decades. It was an early advocate for racialized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) ideology, stating that the ideology is central to its mission and is of equal importance to its Catholic purpose.

The school was caught removing references to its Catholic mission from its statement on staff values before being pressured to return them, as the Daily Caller reported.

Breccan F. Thies is the White House correspondent for The Federalist. He is a co-recipient of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. As an investigative journalist, he previously covered education and culture issues for the Washington Examiner and Breitbart News. He holds a degree from the University of Virginia and is a 2022 Claremont Institute Publius Fellow. You can follow him on X: @BreccanFThies.