Academic who accused Cambridge professor of plagiarism suspended

Nathan Cofnas, the postdoctoral researcher whose plagiarism allegations preceded the resignation and death of former Cambridge professor Jason Arday, has himself been suspended by Ghent University in Belgium pending a disciplinary investigation.

Ghent University said in a statement that it had launched a preliminary inquiry into Mr. Cofnas, a postdoctoral researcher in its philosophy and moral sciences department, and that it was “assessing whether there are sufficient grounds to refer the case to the competent disciplinary body.” The university added that Mr. Cofnas had been suspended “as a precautionary measure” while that review continues. 

Mr. Cofnas, who describes himself as a “race realist,” confirmed the suspension in a post on X, writing that he was under investigation for “discriminating against Arday” and that he would “almost certainly” be fired, a decision he said was made by rector Petra De Sutter, a former Green Party leader. 

Mr. Arday, 41, resigned as Cambridge’s professor of sociology of education on Aug. 5 after the university opened an investigation into his academic qualifications and honorary appointments following new information. He said the “relentless accusations” had taken a toll on him and his family. He was found dead nine days later at an address in Battersea, south London. The Metropolitan Police have said the death is being treated as unexpected but not suspicious; London’s Inner South Coroner’s Court has said an investigation into the cause of death could take several weeks before it is determined whether an inquest will be held.

Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded Mr. Arday’s doctorate in 2015, reviewed the plagiarism claims and concluded his degree should stand. Cambridge’s chancellor, Lord Chris Smith, later condemned what he called a “racist feeding frenzy” surrounding the case, while also saying legitimate plagiarism concerns about any academic should be “rigorously investigated.”

Organizers with the left-wing group Stand Up to Racism estimated that 30,000 people attended a vigil for Mr. Arday at Trafalgar Square. Labour MP Diane Abbott, who said she had spoken with Mr. Arday days before his death, told the crowd she believed the “vicious media campaign drove him to his death.” A statement read on behalf of Mr. Arday’s family said the “public cruelty” he faced was “too much for any man to bear.”

Mr. Cofnas is not new to controversy at Cambridge. Emmanuel College terminated his status as a College Research Associate in July 2024 after students objected to a blog post in which he argued that under a strict meritocracy, Black Americans would be largely absent from elite positions outside sports and entertainment. Mr. Cofnas later sued the college; a county court ruled this year that while his “anti-woke” and hereditarian views qualified as protected philosophical beliefs, the college had been within its rights to terminate his affiliation over how those views were expressed.

Ghent University’s rector and vice-rector said in a joint statement that academic freedom “is not unlimited” and “goes hand in hand with responsibility.” The university has not said when its preliminary review of Mr. Cofnas will conclude.