Academic Who Accused Jason Arday of Plagiarism Suspended by University

An academic who accused the late Cambridge professor Jason Arday of plagiarism has been suspended from his post at a Belgian university.

Nathan Cofnas, a self-defined “race realist” who argues genes play a “non-trivial role” in intelligence differences between racial groups, was among those to question Arday’s work and achievements. This prompted a weeks-long plagiarism row prior to his death on 14 August.

Cofnas said he was under investigation by Ghent University “for discriminating against Arday”.

The university said a staff member had been notified of a “preliminary disciplinary investigation” and suspended as a precaution.

In a statement regarding Arday’s death, its rector Petra De Sutter and vice-rector Herwig Reynaert said they took “recent public statements made by a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University regarding this matter very seriously”, and had taken “appropriate action”.

{snip}

“We attach great importance to academic freedom and to open academic debate, even when views are controversial. However, that freedom is not unlimited.

{snip}

Cofnas works as a postdoctoral researcher at the university’s department of philosophy and moral sciences, according to his website.

His role at a Cambridge college was terminated in 2024 after backlash to his view that, under a true meritocracy, black people would “disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment”.

{snip}