In a Tuesday letter to the Chicago Tribune, University President Fr. John Jenkins said an op-ed published in the same newspaper earlier this week by professors Tamara Kay and Susan Ostermann did not reflect Notre Dame's views.
The op-ed, titled “Lies about abortion have dictated health policy,” was published in Monday's edition of the Tribune by the two Keough School professors.
“During the last 50 years, lies and intentional misinformation have dictated abortion health policy in the U.S.,” Kay and Ostermann wrote. “Abortion has been demonized and characterized by utter falsities; it has gone under the radar for far too long.”
In his letter, Jenkins said the professors “are, of course, free to express their opinions on our campus or in any public forum.”
Because the professors identified themselves as Notre Dame faculty members, Jenkins made clear he was writing to distance the University from the op-ed.
“I write to state unequivocally that their essay does not reflect the views and values of the University of Notre Dame in its tone, arguments or assertions,” Jenkins wrote.
When The Observer reached for comment on why Jenkins chose to respond to the op-ed, University spokesperson Dennis Brown wrote that “Father Jenkins’s letter stands on its own merits.”
