Nathan Cofnas, a self-defined "race realist", was among those to question Arday's work and achievements - prompting a weeks-long plagiarism row prior to his death on 14 August.

Cofnas said he was under investigation by Ghent University "for discriminating against Arday".

The university said a staff member had been notified of a "preliminary disciplinary investigation" and suspended as a precaution.

In a statement regarding Arday's death, its rector Petra De Sutter and vice-rector Herwig Reynaert said they took "recent public statements made by a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University regarding this matter very seriously", and had taken "appropriate action".

They said the university stood 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."

They said Arday's death should "prompt reflection" and that lessons should be learned "regarding the way we treat one another both within and outside the academic world, particularly when people become the subject of public controversy".

Cofnas works as a postdoctoral researcher at the university's department of philosophy and moral sciences, according to his website.

His role at a Cambridge college was terminated in 2024 after backlash to his view that, under a true meritocracy, black people would "disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment".

Cofnas claimed to have put Arday's work through plagiarism detection software which found that "many passages are lifted with minimal editing, sometimes retaining copy-editing mistakes from the original source".

He also noted that a retired professor had previously raised concerns about Arday's subsequent academic articles, which led to two journals issuing correction notes.

Questions were also asked about Arday's claims that he ran 30 marathons in 35 days, and 300 miles in three days for charity, which Arday said had raised more than £5m for charity, as well as running 600 miles on a treadmill in six days.

Arday - who became Cambridge's youngest black professor in 2023 - was found dead in Battersea, south London, having resigned as a professor of sociology of education the week prior.

The 41-year-old had faced weeks of media coverage over plagiarism allegations and questions about his achievements. He denied the claims.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cevmrjd9lj1o

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5895314&forum_id=2!#50080918)

Here is the "rector" of the "university" that fired Cofnas:

Petra De Sutter

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petra_De_Sutter

Petra De Sutter (born 10 June 1963) is a Belgian gynaecologist and politician

... A member of the Groen [Green] party ...

She is the first transgender minister in Europe.[3]

She transitioned to female in 2004.[1]

As a trans woman,[1] she became the first openly transgender Belgian to be on a party election list.[8]

As member of the Socialists, Democrats and Greens Group ...

.... becoming Europe's first transgender deputy prime minister, and the most senior trans politician in Europe.[23]

In October 2023, De Sutter criticised UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's speech at the Conservative party conference where he argued that his audience should not be "bullied into believing that people can be any sex they want to be" and that "a man is a man and a woman is a woman." She described Sunak's words as "hurtful and very disappointing" as well as "fuelling transphobia."[24]

In September 2025, she decided to not join a trade mission to the United States due to "the current rules President Trump has issued," with Politico surmising she was referring to the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump on LGBTQ+ people.[31]

In January 2026, De Sutter, in her capacity as Rector of Ghent University, faced significant public and academic scrutiny following the discovery of fabricated quotes in a speech.[32]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Petra_De_Sutter_4_-_©Jesse_De_Meulenaere_%28cropped%29.jpg/500px-Petra_De_Sutter_4_-_©Jesse_De_Meulenaere_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=en.wikipedia.org&utm_campaign=parser&utm_content=thumbnail

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5895314&forum_id=2!#50080946)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HQPoJUbWQAA7I0v?format=jpg&name=small

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5895314&forum_id=2!#50083216)

Lol did that dude really claim this shit? This is like when a kid in elementary school makes shit up about a video game because his "dad knows someone who works at Nintendo."

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5895314&forum_id=2!#50080990)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HP6NzpeWMAA9UVs?format=jpg&name=4096x4096

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HP6N0EYW8AALoPJ?format=jpg&name=4096x4096

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HP6N0eEWUAA6ANP?format=jpg&name=4096x4096

He was a conman.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5895314&forum_id=2!#50081014)

You have to love the coverage of this shit as well. It'd be one thing if he just did some improper citations (even outright plagiarism) on some paper. But this guy may have actually been insane. And the insanity probably grew so great because every red carpet was rolled out for him. Such that when he actually got told "uh sorry you didn't do this" his mind must've shattered into a million pieces.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5895314&forum_id=2!#50081030)

Also did he put vaseline on his face for his utterly insane cambridge photo?

https://images.euronews.com/articles/stories/09/86/88/02/1536x864_cmsv2_4263535f-3e43-5b5a-b4d1-eb9219c3532f-9868802.jpg

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5895314&forum_id=2!#50081040)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Cofnas

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5895314&forum_id=2!#50081053)

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-9PjM0g5MbMKqpA5g5KIX9n7XAR3Ncbvm1PiZCz9RCm8gpqwHhA-4gL4SUQGTMmf_hAXBTZolMjxRj5LlW8KfNos4da9O84WvhLYCKV7qYbsmjisISU-NDsecQU99sm1WROC2uIG6Mr9BalgBxP4pE28hdOOpf05HJnKj3MnlMkrOMDvgDPT732JRjg/s1225/cofnas-hanania-yarvin.png

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5895314&forum_id=2!#50081090)

It seems like middle aged jewish guys either become twinks or pot-bellied slobs. It's almost universal.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5895314&forum_id=2!#50083003)

Also to be fair, I am a big Sun & Steel fan.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5895314&forum_id=2!#50083163)

https://x.com/arcticinstincts/status/2090472782933221632

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5895314&forum_id=2!#50081276)

https://x.com/kitten_beloved/status/2090485392281829376?s=46

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5895314&forum_id=2!#50081284)

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/ghent-university

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5895314&forum_id=2!#50083109)

https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/how-i-became-the-scapegoat-in-the-jason-arday-affair-dc134088

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5895314&forum_id=2!#50083432)

https://x.com/mikebenzcyber/status/2091322950733406659?s=46

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5895314&forum_id=2!#50086693)

https://x.com/nathancofnas/status/2093037465871540528?s=20

Nathan Cofnas @nathancofnas · 22m

I am grateful to Rector Petra De Sutter for allowing me to stay at Ghent University. I look forward to continuing to work on the project, “The Future of Liberalism,” for 60% of my working time for the remainder of my one-year postdoc.

I wish to personally thank Ambassador @BillWhiteUSA . It was beyond my imagination that such a person would take an interest in the fate of a postdoc. The Ambassador responded with great support which helped to bring about a just outcome. Thank you, @USAmbToBelgium and @StateDept for defending American values. I am proud of my country.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5895314&forum_id=2!#50097094)

Edit: but unlike those attorneys, Cofnas is obviously principled and brave.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5895314&forum_id=2!#50097151)