Ghent University in Belgium has temporarily suspended Nathan Cofnas, an American researcher who led plagiarism accusations against Jason Arday, the former Black Cambridge professor who died last week at age 41. The university announced a 'preliminary disciplinary investigation' into Cofnas, who was suspended 'as a precautionary measure.'

In a statement, the university cited its 'respect for human dignity and opposition to discrimination.' Rector Petra De Sutter and Vice-Rector Herwig Reynaert emphasized that academic freedom is important but not unlimited, and may be restricted to protect the rights of others. They stressed that even controversial views must be discussed responsibly.

Arday, who became Cambridge's youngest-ever Black professor in 2023, resigned in early August amid allegations of plagiarism in his doctoral thesis and exaggerated personal achievements. He had autism and always denied the accusations. His death has sparked anti-racist protests in London and elsewhere, with many blaming media scrutiny for his demise.

Oxford academic Sneha Krishnan called Arday's death 'institutional murder by a system infused with anti-Black racism.' Cofnas, a self-described 'race realist' who was previously fired from Cambridge for his views on race, had claimed Arday benefited unfairly from diversity, equality, and inclusion policies.

Ghent University said it is assessing whether to launch full disciplinary proceedings and takes recent statements 'very seriously.' The case has drawn widespread media coverage in the UK and US, highlighting tensions over race, academia, and free speech.

Source: www.aljazeera.com