Pro-Abortion Professor Steps Down From Notre Dame Leadership Role Under Catholic Pressure

University of Notre Dame professor Susan Ostermann has stepped down from a senior leadership role at the historic Catholic university after weeks of pressure from students, faculty, and Catholic leaders nationwide over her long public record of supporting abortion. Ostermann will no longer assume the directorship of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies. The decision represents a significant victory for Catholic identity advocates who argued that placing a vocal abortion supporter in a leadership position undermined the university's mission and Catholic character. The case highlights the growing tension between secular academic culture and the religious identity of faith-based institutions.