American academic Nathan Cofnas has been suspended by Ghent University in Belgium while the institution conducts a preliminary disciplinary investigation into his public statements about the late Cambridge professor Jason Arday.
Cofnas, a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent, announced his suspension on X on August 20 and said he was under investigation for allegedly discriminating against Arday.
Ghent University subsequently confirmed that he had been suspended as a precautionary measure while the disciplinary process takes place, according to Reuters report.
The university has not disclosed the precise statements that prompted the investigation and has not made any finding that Cofnas committed discrimination or other misconduct.
Why is Nathan Cofnas being investigated?
{{/usCountry}}The university has not disclosed the precise statements that prompted the investigation and has not made any finding that Cofnas committed discrimination or other misconduct.
Why is Nathan Cofnas being investigated?
{{/usCountry}}The investigation follows Cofnas' public criticism of Arday and allegations concerning the former Cambridge professor's academic work.
Cofnas wrote in July that a source at Cambridge had contacted him about alleged plagiarism involving Arday. He subsequently published material outlining his concerns, triggering widespread coverage of Arday's academic record. Reuters reported that Arday denied the plagiarism allegation but acknowledged making mistakes.
Cambridge later said it had begun an investigation following new information about Arday's academic qualifications and honorary appointments. The university also said separate complaints concerning academic misconduct remained subject to its existing research-misconduct procedures.
The university stressed that the process needed to be thorough and fair and said it would not comment further while the investigation was ongoing.
What did Ghent University say?
Ghent University said it opposes discrimination, hatred and racism while also emphasizing its commitment to academic freedom and open debate.
The university made clear, however, that academic freedom comes with responsibilities and is not unlimited. It said the preliminary disciplinary investigation would establish whether there were sufficient grounds to refer the matter to the competent disciplinary body.
Ghent also said it could not provide further details because of the confidentiality surrounding personnel files and disciplinary proceedings, as per Reuters report.
That means Cofnas' suspension should not be presented as a finding that he discriminated against Arday. The investigation is still at a preliminary stage.
What happened to Jason Arday?
Arday became Cambridge's youngest Black professor when he was appointed in 2023. His academic record came under renewed scrutiny in 2026 after Cofnas publicly raised plagiarism allegations and other questions about his career.
Arday resigned from Cambridge on August 5. On the same day, Cambridge announced that it had begun an investigation following new information about his academic qualifications and honorary appointments.
Cambridge later said it would investigate the circumstances surrounding Arday's appointment to the Faculty of Education in 2022 and his time at the university. Vice-Chancellor Deborah Prentice said the review would examine what happened and what improvements were needed in the university's processes.
Arday, 41, was subsequently found dead in London. Reuters reported that he died days after resigning from Cambridge following weeks of intense scrutiny.
The circumstances surrounding his death have intensified debate over the media scrutiny and public allegations he faced.
Were the plagiarism allegations against Arday proven?
The allegations should not be described as an established finding of plagiarism.
Cambridge's own statements distinguish between allegations concerning academic misconduct and its later investigation into Arday's qualifications and appointments. The university said on August 5 that ongoing complaints regarding academic misconduct were being handled under its research-misconduct policy.
The Guardian reported that earlier plagiarism allegations concerning Arday's doctoral work had previously been investigated by Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded his PhD, and that the university did not uphold the allegations.
Arday denied plagiarism allegations but acknowledged mistakes in his academic work, according to Reuters.
Cofnas has faced controversy before
The Ghent investigation is not the first controversy involving Cofnas.
He was previously associated with Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where concerns were raised about his writings on race and meritocracy. Reuters reported that Emmanuel College ended its association with him in 2024 after students raised concerns about his blog posts. Cofnas has denied being racist and has been involved in a legal dispute with the college.
The earlier Cambridge dispute is separate from Ghent University's current disciplinary investigation.
What happens next?
Cofnas' suspension does not establish that he committed discrimination or any other disciplinary offence.
Ghent University's immediate task is to complete its preliminary investigation and determine whether there are sufficient grounds for the case to be referred to the university's disciplinary body.
According to Reuters, Ghent has declined to provide further details while the personnel proceedings remain confidential.