Notre Dame Faces Faculty Resigns After Controversial Appointment

Tension is rising at the University of Notre Dame after two scholars cut formal ties with the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies. Their resignations follow the appointment of Professor Susan Ostermann as the institute’s next director. The decision has sparked debate about Catholic identity, academic leadership, and public advocacy on abortion.

The controversy centers on Ostermann’s published views and whether they align with the mission of what many consider the nation’s most prominent Catholic university.

Faculty Members Step Down in Protest

news.nd.edu | Law professor Diane Desierto confirmed her resignation from the Liu Institute.

Diane A. Desierto, professor of law and global affairs, confirmed to Fox News Digital that she resigned from her roles at the Liu Institute.

“I confirm that I submitted my resignation to the University President, Provost, Keough School Dean, and the current Liu Institute Director, giving up my appointments as a Faculty Fellow and member of the Faculty Executive Committee of the Liu Institute yesterday,” Desierto said in a statement Wednesday.

Robert M. Gimello, research professor emeritus of theology, also withdrew his affiliation. In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital, he informed Michel Hockx, director of the Liu Institute, that he no longer wished to remain connected to the center after Ostermann’s appointment.

“Dear Michel: In dismay, and with regret, I write to tell you that the recently announced appointment of your successor as Director of the Liu Center compels my resignation from my position as Emeritus Fellow of the Center,” Gimello wrote in an email sent Monday.

He added, “Please remove my name and photograph from the Liu Institute’s roster. I can only hope — and I will pray — for a future in which the Institute fulfills its proper role as a faithful instrument of our University’s Catholic mission.”

Although Gimello is not currently listed as an emeritus fellow on his university biography page, other profiles previously identified him as a fellow of the institute.

Susan Ostermann’s Appointment

On Jan. 8, Notre Dame announced that Susan Ostermann would assume the role of director of the Liu Institute in July. Ostermann joined the university in 2017 as a professor of global affairs.

Her appointment quickly drew scrutiny because of past writings on abortion policy.

In 2022, Ostermann co-authored an article with former Notre Dame professor Tamara Kay titled “Lies about abortion have dictated our health policy.” In that piece, they argued:

“Nearly 90% of abortions take place within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. At that stage, there isn’t a baby or fetus present. What exists is a blastocyst or an embryo that is so small it cannot be detected through a standard abdominal ultrasound.”

They also pushed back against statements questioning the safety of abortion. “That claim is simply inaccurate. A substantial body of research shows that abortion is safe and is not associated with long-term physical or mental health problems.”

The article continued with additional assertions:

1. Abortion “doesn’t cause cancer.”
2. It “doesn’t affect future fertility.”
3. “Most people feel relief after an abortion and do not regret their decision.”
4. Up to 11 weeks, medication abortions using mifepristone and misoprostol are “safer than taking Tylenol.”

That same year, Ostermann and Kay published another article in Salon titled “Forced pregnancy and childbirth are violence against women — and also terrible health policy.” In it, they argued:

“Making abortion a criminal offense causes lasting damage. It can also produce outcomes that run counter to what opponents intend, including higher abortion rates, more unintended pregnancies, and increased infant mortality.”

They added, “Access to abortion expands personal freedom in a meaningful way. From the standpoint of social justice and human dignity, it affirms women’s autonomy—their right to make decisions and weigh the medical and personal risks tied to pregnancy and childbirth.”

Gimello’s Concerns About Catholic Identity

commons.tsadra.org | Gimello resigned to protest the appointment of a director whose views on abortion conflict with Catholic doctrine.

Gimello stated that his resignation stemmed directly from Ostermann’s public stance on abortion.

“You would be correct to assume that the principal reason for my resignation is the sad fact that administrators of the world’s preeminent Catholic university have chosen to appoint, as director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, a scholar who has repeatedly, publicly, and adamantly proclaimed her opposition to (verging at times, it seems to me, on contempt for) the Catholic Church’s firm teaching that protection and nourishment of human life, from the moment of conception until natural death, is a sacred duty incumbent upon the whole human community,” he said.

He continued, “Continued formal association with a unit of the University led by such a person is, for me, simply unconscionable — this regardless of whatever considerable talents and accomplishments the appointee might otherwise bring to the job.”

Gimello also raised concerns about the university’s global presence, especially in Asia.

He noted that his own scholarship focuses on Asia’s religious and intellectual traditions, often in comparison with Christianity. He described the Liu Institute as Notre Dame’s “principal organ for the study of Asia” and its “chief conduit for institutional relations with Asia.” In his words, it functions as Notre Dame’s “Asian face.”

According to Gimello, debates about abortion, population control, and euthanasia remain central to many Asian religious and ethical traditions. Therefore, he argued, it is vital that Notre Dame clearly reflect Catholic teaching in its international outreach.

“I believe, therefore, that it is essential to Notre Dame’s Asian outreach that it faithfully represent to its Asian and Asian Studies interlocutors the Catholic Church’s views on these most fundamental matters,” he said.

He added that he doubts anyone “so hostile to, or dismissive of, those views — as this newly appointed person seems clearly to be — even if she were to try to muffle her hostility, could do justice to Notre Dame’s properly Catholic endeavors in and about Asia.”

Gimello expressed concern that the appointment could signal to partners and scholars abroad that Notre Dame is “deeply at odds with the Church that it claims to represent in the realms of higher education.”

University Response

Notre Dame told Fox News Digital that it stands by its previous statement regarding Ostermann’s appointment.

A university-affiliated representative noted that Gimello retired from the Department of Theology in 2017 and “has not been an active member of either the Theology Department or Liu Institute since then.” The representative added that he had been listed as an emeritus fellow “as a professional courtesy.”

The university did not indicate any change to Ostermann’s upcoming leadership role.

What This Means for Notre Dame

keough.nd.edu | The appointment of Susan Ostermann as director of the Liu Institute has led to the resignations of Diane A. Desierto and Robert M. Gimello.

The situation reflects a broader debate that many faith-based institutions face: how to balance academic freedom with religious mission. At Notre Dame, that balance carries particular weight due to its Catholic identity and global reach.

The resignations of Diane A. Desierto and Robert M. Gimello highlight internal divisions about leadership, public advocacy, and institutional representation. Meanwhile, the university has signaled confidence in its decision.

As Ostermann prepares to lead the Liu Institute in July, attention remains fixed on how Notre Dame will define its academic voice while maintaining its Catholic foundation.

The appointment of Susan Ostermann as director of the Liu Institute has led to the resignations of Diane A. Desierto and Robert M. Gimello. Their objections center on Ostermann’s public support for abortion rights and its tension with Catholic teaching.

Notre Dame has defended its decision and clarified Gimello’s emeritus status. The situation highlights ongoing debate over academic leadership and religious identity at one of the nation’s most prominent Catholic universities.