University taking action against academic who accused Jason Arday of plagiarism
Prof Arday resigned from his role at the University of Cambridge this month after he faced intense scrutiny over accusations of plagiarism
Last updated 20th Aug 2026
A university said it is taking “appropriate action” regarding an academic who made plagiarism allegations against Professor Jason Arday before his death.
Prof Arday resigned from his role at the University of Cambridge this month after he faced intense scrutiny over accusations of plagiarism initially made by fellow academic Nathan Cofnas.
Mr Cofnas, who has advocated for “race realism”, is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University’s department of philosophy and moral sciences, according to his website.
In a post on X on Thursday, he said: “I am under investigation by my university for discriminating against Arday.”
On Wednesday, Ghent said Prof Arday’s death “should prompt reflection”, adding that the institution “opposes discrimination, hatred and racism.”
The Belgian university said that while it supported academic freedom and open academic debate, “that freedom is not unlimited” and goes “hand in hand with responsibility” as it announced it was taking unspecified action regarding Mr Cofnas.
In a joint statement, Ghent University rector Petra De Sutter and vice-rector Herwig Reynaert said: “Ghent University stands for respect for human dignity and opposes discrimination, hatred and racism.
“We attach great importance to academic freedom and to open academic debate, even when views are controversial. However, that freedom is not unlimited.
“It goes hand in hand with responsibility and may be restricted in order to protect the rights of others.
“For this reason, the university takes the recent public statements made by a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University regarding this matter very seriously.
“Ghent University has decided to take appropriate action within its powers and the applicable framework.”
The rector and vice-rector said that while it was “important to be transparent”, they did not want to “pre-empt any potential decisions at this stage.”
They said Ghent had been “shocked” by Prof Arday’s death and that their thoughts remain with his family, friends, colleagues and students.
Prof Arday, who became Cambridge’s youngest black professor in 2023, was found dead in Battersea, south London, on Friday.
Earlier this week, organisers said more than 30,000 people had attended a vigil for the 41-year-old in Trafalgar Square, central London.
Speakers at the vigil criticised the press coverage of Prof Arday, with MP Diane Abbott saying he was subject of a “vicious” and “bitter” campaign by people who did not believe a black man should be a Cambridge professor and Lord Woolley describing the press coverage of Prof Arday as a “public execution” and a “lynching”.
Mr Cofnas has been contacted for comment.