The University of Ghent has decided to temporarily suspend one of its researchers in the context of a disciplinary file opened against him, after he accused the sociologist and British professor from Cambridge Jason Arday of plagiarism, who was found dead last week in his home in Battersea, in south London.
"As part of this process, the university is evaluating whether there are sufficient grounds to refer the case to the competent disciplinary body for further examination. Pending the results of this preliminary investigation, the University of Ghent has suspended the staff member as a precautionary measure," it stated in a statement.
The academic institution had expressed its shock the day before at Arday's passing — which continues to be under investigation by British authorities — and conveyed its condolences to his loved ones, friends, and students.
"The University of Ghent advocates for respect for human dignity and opposes discrimination, hatred, and racism. We place great importance on academic freedom and free academic debate, even when controversial opinions are expressed. However, this freedom is not unlimited; it carries responsibility and can be restricted to protect the rights of others," it indicated.
In this regard, the university called for "reflection" following the events. "We hope that what happened serves as a lesson on how we treat each other, both within and outside the academic sphere, especially when people become involved in public controversies," it added.
Although the University of Ghent has not made the name of the researcher public, he has confirmed on his own social media the decision made. "I have just been suspended by the University of Ghent. I will almost certainly be fired. The decision has been made by the rector Petra De Sutter, a former leader of the Green Party," Nathan Cofnas indicated on social media.
The case of Jason Arday
Arday, 41, resigned as a professor of Sociology of Education at Cambridge after being embroiled in plagiarism accusations. His appointment as the youngest black professor in the history of the university, at 37 years old in 2023, was then celebrated as a significant progressive advance.
Both he and his family reported that he had been the subject of a strong campaign of media harassment after Cofnas published on his blog that a large part of his doctoral thesis contained copied fragments from other authors, after subjecting it to a plagiarism detection program.
Cofnas, described as a "race realist" and of American nationality, spread an essay on his blog in which he argued that, if only meritocracy ruled, black people would "disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment." In July 2024, Emmanuel College —part of the University of Cambridge— expelled him claiming that his texts were incompatible with its principles regarding diversity.
Arday acknowledged flaws in his work and told the newspaper 'The Times' that he took responsibility, although he rejected the accusations of plagiarism. "Since I arrived at Cambridge, there has been a very well-orchestrated and coordinated campaign to remove me from my position," said the academic.
The professor referred to "racial motivations" and claimed to have become the "target of criticism" for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in universities, after a review conducted earlier this year by John Moores University in Liverpool, where he obtained his doctorate, confirmed the validity of the granting of his degree.
Cofnas also questioned aspects of Arday's biography —diagnosed with autism in childhood and who carried the Olympic torch at the London 2012 Games— related to a fundraising for charitable purposes and his achievements in marathon races.
The University of Cambridge announced in early August that it would open an internal investigation after receiving "new information" about his academic credentials and appointments, as well as "several complaints" of misconduct. Shortly after, Arday submitted his resignation.
The NGO Good Law Project reported that in just 22 days more than 240 pieces of information were published in various media —many of them in sensationalist press— about the accusations. "The stories about Jason generated clicks and even media like 'The Times' published paid advertisements for their articles," it criticized.
In response, hundreds of people gathered this week in Trafalgar Square, in London, called by the organization Stand Up to Racism to pay tribute to Jason Arday and denounce the campaign of racial hatred directed against him.