Academic Nathan Cofnas Suspended After Jason Arday Plagiarism Claims

Ghent University suspended Nathan Cofnas, a postdoctoral researcher, on Thursday following his accusations of plagiarism against former Cambridge professor Jason Arday.

Cofnas, who first publicly accused Arday last month, stated on X that he was suspended and predicted the university would almost certainly fire me. Ghent University confirmed the suspension as a precautionary measure as part of a probe into recent public statements made by a postdoctoral researcher. The university's rector, Petra de Sutter, said Arday's death should prompt reflection and that the university stands for respect for human dignity and opposes discrimination, hatred and racism.

Arday was found dead at his London home on August 14, 2026, days after resigning from his position at the University of Cambridge. He had resigned on August 5, writing that he had reached the limits of what any person should reasonably be expected to endure. Arday, appointed professor in sociology of education at Cambridge in 2023 at age 38, was the youngest Black professor in the institution’s 800-year history.

He denied the plagiarism accusations, suggesting any mistakes resulted from his autism, and claimed his accusers were motivated by racism. His publisher had stood by him, lauding his professionalism and integrity. A Middle East Eye analysis found Arday's claims of running 30 marathons in 35 days and football claims appear true. Cofnas, a self-defined race realist, previously lost his position at Cambridge in 2024 due to public criticism of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies.

He was fired by Emmanuel College, Cambridge, after a 2024 blog post where he argued black people were, on average, less intelligent than other groups. He claimed Arday was appointed by Cambridge explicitly to advance the cause of racial diversity. Ghent University had hired Cofnas earlier this year, stating his previous statements were not illegal and did not violate its ethical code. Scholars from the UK’s top academics’ union blame Arday’s death on a racist mob.