Jason Arday: Plagiarism critic Cofnas suspended after racism debate

US researcher Nathan Cofnas has reportedly been suspended by Ghent University, following his accusations of plagiarism against Cambridge professor Jason Arday. Cofnas stated on social media that he expects to be fired by the university.

Ghent University confirmed in a statement that it has initiated a "preliminary disciplinary investigation" into a researcher involved in the case and has suspended him "as a precautionary measure." The university did not name Cofnas directly.

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I was just suspended by Ghent University. They will most likely fire me.

Cofnas had accused Arday, who was found dead recently, of significant plagiarism in his dissertation. He claimed that plagiarism detection software revealed substantial overlap with a 2009 doctoral thesis. These allegations were picked up by right-wing media outlets, which framed Arday, the youngest Black professor at Cambridge, as a token hire for equality and inclusion programs.

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preliminary disciplinary investigation

Arday initially received support from Cambridge leadership but later faced an internal investigation. He resigned from his position as Professor of Sociology of Education on August 5, shortly after media reports detailed plagiarism accusations and doubts about his curriculum vitae. Arday was found dead in South London soon after. Police are investigating the death as either suicide or natural causes.

Arday's family described the situation as a "mobbing campaign" involving rumors about his academic work and personal life. A petition calling for a government investigation into the case and media reporting garnered nearly 32,400 signatures. A vigil for Arday was held in London's Trafalgar Square.

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as a precautionary measure