Academic Who Raised Plagiarism Allegations Against Jason Arday Suspended

Nathan Cofnas, the U.S. academic who raised plagiarism concerns about late Cambridge professor Jason Arday, said on Thursday that he had been suspended by Ghent University in Belgium and was under investigation for discrimination. The university confirmed that Cofnas had been suspended as a precautionary measure while a preliminary disciplinary investigation is carried out.

Arday, who was once described as Cambridge’s youngest Black professor, was found dead in London last week at the age of 41, days after resigning from his position. He had denied plagiarism allegations but acknowledged making mistakes. The allegations attracted widespread media attention and led to scrutiny of other claims surrounding his career and personal life.

Cofnas said he had been contacted by a source at Cambridge University in July about the plagiarism accusations involving Arday. His suspension comes amid wider controversy surrounding his own academic career, including disputes with Cambridge’s Emmanuel College over blog posts that students had raised concerns about. Arday’s family has said he was subjected to misinformation and harassment, while thousands of people attended a vigil in London following his death.

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