Nathan Cofnas, an academic who raised plagiarism concerns about the late Cambridge professor Jason Arday, has been suspended by Ghent University. The university stated that a preliminary disciplinary investigation is underway and the suspension is a precautionary measure.
In a statement, Ghent University's rector Petra De Sutter and vice-rector Herwig Reynaert said they were taking the "recent public statements made by a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University regarding this matter very seriously" and had taken "appropriate action." The university emphasized its commitment to "respect for human dignity and opposes discrimination, hatred and racism." It also noted that while it values academic freedom and open debate, this freedom is not unlimited and can be restricted to protect the rights of others.
Cofnas, who identifies as a "race realist," stated he is under investigation by Ghent University "for discriminating against Arday." He claimed to have used plagiarism detection software on Arday's work, finding that "many passages are lifted with minimal editing, sometimes retaining copy-editing mistakes from the original source."
Prior to his death on August 14, Arday, who became Cambridge's youngest black professor in 2023, faced weeks of media coverage regarding allegations of plagiarism and questions about his academic achievements and personal claims. Arday had denied these allegations.
These questions also extended to Arday's claims of running 30 marathons in 35 days and 300 miles in three days for charity, which he stated raised over £5 million. Concerns about his subsequent academic articles had previously been raised by a retired professor, leading two journals to issue corrections.
Cofnas's academic role at a Cambridge college was terminated in 2024 following backlash to his views on meritocracy and the representation of Black people in high-profile positions. Arday was found deceased in Battersea, south London, a week after resigning from his position as professor of sociology of education.