Donald Trump‘s ambassador to Belgium has called for an American academic who was suspended by a university for sharing plagiarism allegations about Jason Arday to be reinstated in the name of free speech.
Nathan Cofnas, an academic specialising in the philosophy of biology, was stood down from his position at Ghent University on Thursday.
Arday, who was hired as the youngest black professor at the University of Cambridge at the age of 37 in 2023, was found dead at his London home last Friday.
The 41-year-old resigned from his position as a sociology of education professor following intense scrutiny over claims of academic plagiarism first aired by Mr Cofnas in a post on his Substack last month.
Ghent University confirmed it had suspended the academic after a ‘preliminary disciplinary investigation’, adding that it ‘opposes discrimination, hatred and racism’.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, university rector Petra De Sutter and vice-rector Herwig Reynaert said while academic freedom and debate were important, it was ‘not unlimited’ and ‘may be restricted’ to protect the rights of others.
In an email to Ghent University seen by The Times, Bill White urged the institution to ‘explore a way to rescind this decision and to ensure Nathan’s continued employment’, adding the issue had the full attention of the Trump administration.
Mr White, who described Mr Cofnas as a ‘well-respected Jewish American professor’ said his email was a ‘respectful and diplomatic attempt’ to ‘calm things down’.
Donald Trump’s Ambassador to Belgian Bill White is pictured right with the President
Nathan Cofnas, an academic specialising in the philosophy of biology, was stood down from his position at Ghent University on Thursday
In a lengthy statement on X, the ambassador said the United States Mission to Belgium condemned Ghent University’s ‘retaliation’ against Mr Cofnas following his ‘accurate whistleblower reporting on academic fraud’.
‘The United States government regularly funds and supports research, academic exchanges, and other engagements with overseas universities,’ he wrote.
‘Dishonest, corrupt institutions that engage in, or reward, scapegoating mob behavior are not desirable partners for us.
‘This is particularly true where the purpose and effect of the scapegoating is to punish accurate journalism unearthing academic dishonesty.
‘We are therefore reviewing any relationships we have with Ghent University. Bad-faith idealogues will try to make this a referendum on the content of Cofnas’s scholarship – or polemical distortions of it. That’s wrong.
‘Free speech means that controversial views are protected. And Cofnas’s views were known to Ghent University when he was hired. The ultimate purpose of freedom of speech is to overturn lies, fraud, and false ideologies.
‘This is precisely what Cofnas was doing, and precisely the reason his home institution wants to silence him.’
On Friday, Mr Cofnas wrote that he had become ‘the scapegoat in the Jason Arday affair’ and ‘smeared as a racist’ in a piece for the Wall Street Journal.
Arday, who was hired as the youngest black professor at the University of Cambridge at age 37 ub 2023, was found dead at his London home last Friday
In an email to Ghent University, Mr White urged the institution to ‘explore a way to rescind’ the decision to suspend Mr Cofnas over a Substack post about Arday shared last month
‘I have been flooded with death threats, smeared in countless newspaper articles, and accused of targeting Arday because I think that, as put it, “people like Cofnas simply don’t believe that Black people deserve to be professors at all”,’ he wrote.
‘Speaker after speaker at the vigil held for Arday in Trafalgar Square on Monday denounced me by name, including a prominent politician. Many have claimed that I fabricated the evidence against Arday, although this is easily refuted.’
Mr Arday’s death has been referred to the Coroner for the Inner South District of Greater London. No medical cause of death was given.
The coroner will now carry out an investigation and decide whether there will be an inquest.
Cambridge initially said claims of plagiarism regarding Mr Arday’s thesis and some journal publications had been investigated by Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and the journals in question.
LJMU, which awarded Professor Arday his PhD in 2015, concluded that he had not plagiarised work.
But last week, Cambridge announced an independent investigation into his appointment.
Mr Arday resigned but said this decision should not ‘be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me’.
Mr Cofnas declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail.
Ghent University has been contacted for comment.
