Hundreds of Academics Support Nathan Cofnas in Open Letter

Hundreds of academics have signed an open letter calling on Ghent University in Belgium to protect from punishment Nathan Cofnas, the postdoctoral researcher and self-described “race realist” who accused the late Cambridge professor Jason Arday of plagiarizing parts of his Ph.D. thesis. 

“As academics, we are concerned that Ghent University’s disciplinary proceedings against Dr. Cofnas appear to constitute retaliation, at least in part, for publicizing academic misconduct that occurred in British universities,” the scholars wrote. “An essential component of academic freedom is the ability to scrutinize the scholarship of other academics, regardless of their position or status. This must include the freedom to provide evidence of academic misconduct, such as plagiarism and fabrication. The pursuit of truth depends on rigorous self-policing by academics.”

As of Monday afternoon, 709 academics had signed the letter. Among them are professors at dozens of American universities, including Duke University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, Texas A&M University and the University of California, Los Angeles. 

Cofnas was suspended on Friday for one week while Ghent officials conduct a “preliminary investigation” into his behavior, including whether his work on “race realism” and the “hereditarian revolution” is “fundamentally inconsistent with the contractual scope of your employment,” as well as to determine whether he discriminated against Arday and created a hostile environment for students and staff, according to a disciplinary letter shared on Bluesky. His suspension was announced days after Arday, who had resigned from his role at Cambridge following weeks of online attacks amid public speculation over whether he plagiarized his thesis, was found dead in London. 

Ghent spokespeople did not respond to Inside Higher Ed’s request for comment on the letter Monday. Cofnas announced his suspension on X, noting that “they will almost certainly fire me.”