A Belgian university on Thursday suspended the academic who accused the former Cambridge professor Jason Arday of plagiarism, describing the move as a “precautionary measure” while they look into his recent public statements.
The academic, Nathan Cofnas, is a former Cambridge scholar who is now a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University in Belgium. He is known for work suggesting that Black people are genetically predisposed to be less intelligent than white people.
Last month, he wrote about Dr. Arday, who was Black, in a newsletter, accusing him of plagiarism in his doctoral dissertation. The post ignited a public firestorm that dominated British newspaper headlines and prompted new allegations that he had fabricated parts of his life story. Dr. Arday resigned his position at Cambridge early this month, and last week was found dead.
“We attach great importance to academic freedom and to open academic debate, even when views are controversial,” said Ghent University in a statement. “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.”
In an email on Thursday, Dr. Cofnas, who is American, confirmed that he had been suspended from his role as a postdoctoral researcher, suggesting that the school had retaliated against him for political reasons. In response to a request for comment about that claim, Ghent University declined to provide any information beyond its statement.
Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded Dr. Arday his Ph.D., said that it had looked into the allegations and declined to withdraw his doctorate.
An examination by The New York Times found Cambridge had ignored warnings about Dr. Arday’s work and personal history. The explosion of coverage and Dr. Arday’s death have rattled British academia, prompting a wide-ranging debate about plagiarism, media scrutiny and race relations in Britain.
In a resignation letter dated Aug. 5, Dr. Arday wrote: “I no longer wish to feel as though I am living under a constant spotlight, where every aspect of my life is subject to public examination and judgment.”
After Dr. Arday’s death, his family wrote in a statement, “The campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason.”
Mara Hvistendahl contributed reporting.
