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Ghent suspends Cofnas
Ghent University in Belgium suspended Nathan Cofnas, a postdoctoral researcher in its department of philosophy and moral sciences, after he made plagiarism allegations against late Cambridge professor Jason Arday before Arday’s death.
““I was just suspended by Ghent University. They will almost certainly fire me.””
Cofnas said on X, “I am under investigation by my university for discriminating against Arday,” and he later wrote, “I was just suspended by Ghent University. They will almost certainly fire me.”
Ghent University said it took the matter seriously and that it was taking “appropriate action within its powers and the applicable framework,” while also stressing that academic freedom “is not unlimited.”
Arday, who became Cambridge’s youngest Black professor in 2023, was found dead in Battersea, south London, on Friday at age 41, days after resigning from his Cambridge post.
In a joint statement, rector Petra De Sutter and vice-rector Herwig Reynaert said, “We attach great importance to academic freedom and to open academic debate, even when views are controversial,” and added that it “goes hand in hand with responsibility.”
Disciplinary process and debate
Ghent University said it had formally notified the staff member concerned of a “preliminary disciplinary investigation” and suspended him “as a precautionary measure” while it assessed whether there were sufficient grounds to refer the case to a disciplinary body.
The university said it could not comment further on the specific details of the disciplinary case or underlying arguments to safeguard “the confidentiality of the personnel file and the disciplinary proceedings.”
The controversy around Arday’s work and achievements had drawn weeks of media coverage before his death, and Reuters reported that Arday repeatedly said the public attacks upon him were taking a toll on him and his family.
Reuters also reported that Cofnas wrote on his Substack page on July 21 that he had been contacted by a source at Cambridge University about accusations of plagiarism concerning Arday, and that he said he would not reveal who this source was.
In London, more than 30,000 people attended a vigil for the 41-year-old in Trafalgar Square, where MP Diane Abbott said Arday was subject of a “vicious” and “bitter” campaign and Lord Woolley described the press coverage as a “public execution” and a “lynching.”
Aftermath and what’s at risk
The suspension and investigation unfolded as British Prime Minister Andy Burnham described Arday’s death as a “tragedy on so many levels” and said it was a moment for reflection.
“British Prime Minister Andy Burnham described Arday's death as a "tragedy on so many levels"”
Reuters reported that Arday had denied the allegation of plagiarism but acknowledged making mistakes, and it said his family stated on Friday that he had been the victim of misinformation and harassment.
Ghent University’s statement emphasized that it opposes “discrimination, hatred and racism,” while also saying it was taking Cofnas’s “recent public statements made by a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University regarding this matter very seriously.”
The New York Times reported that Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded Arday his Ph.D., said it had looked into the allegations and declined to withdraw his doctorate, while The New York Times said an examination found Cambridge had ignored warnings about Arday’s work and personal history.
In his resignation letter dated Aug. 5, Arday wrote, “I no longer wish to feel as though I am living under a constant spotlight, where every aspect of my life is subject to public examination and judgment.”
