Ghent University in Belgium has suspended an American scholar who spearheaded plagiarism allegations against Jason Arday, the former Black Cambridge professor who died last week amid what many called a "racist" campaign of scrutiny.
Nathan Cofnas, a researcher who self-identifies as a "race realist" and was dismissed by Cambridge in 2024 over his views on race, posted on X on Thursday: "I have just been suspended by Ghent University. They will almost certainly fire me."
In a statement, Ghent University confirmed it had opened a preliminary disciplinary investigation into a postdoctoral researcher linked to the Arday case and said the employee had been suspended as a precautionary measure. The university stressed its commitment to "respect for human dignity and non-discrimination."
Rector Petra De Sutter and Vice-Rector Herwig Reynaert said in a joint statement: "We value academic freedom and open scholarly debate, even when viewpoints are controversial. However, that freedom is not unlimited. It comes with responsibilities and can be restricted to protect the rights of others."
The saga stems from plagiarism accusations leveled at Jason Arday, who became the youngest Black professor in Cambridge's history when appointed in 2023. Arday was accused of plagiarizing parts of his doctoral thesis and exaggerating some personal achievements. He died last Friday at age 41, days after resigning on August 5, with his resignation letter stating he had "reached the limit of what anyone can endure."
Concerns about Arday's work had surfaced years earlier but went nowhere, with one journalist abandoning an investigation after legal threats. Last month, however, Cofnas publicly claimed to have found multiple instances of plagiarism in Arday's work, igniting a media storm in the UK and US.
British media and right-wing commentators seized on the case to argue Arday had unfairly benefited from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Cofnas, a vocal DEI critic, has argued that intelligence varies across racial groups and has written that in a true meritocracy, top universities like Harvard or Cambridge would struggle to have Black professors.
Arday's death has sparked anti-racism protests in London and other cities, with tens of thousands taking to the streets to honor him and criticize media outlets for excessive pressure. Oxford academic Sneha Krishnan wrote on Al Jazeera: "The harassment and death of Arday are not an isolated incident: they are a systemic killing by a system steeped in anti-Black racism."
Ghent University said it is "assessing" whether there are sufficient grounds to initiate formal disciplinary proceedings in this case and committed to reviewing recent related statements with utmost seriousness.
