‘Scapegoating mob behavior’: Trump official slams Ghent over US academic Nathan Cofnas suspension
US Ambassador to Belgium Bill White has publicly condemned Ghent University’s suspension of American academic Nathan Cofnas, who had exposed alleged plagiarism in the work of late Cambridge professor Jason Arday, with the US mission saying it was reviewing its relationship with the university.The intervention came after Cofnas announced on X that he had been suspended by Ghent University and expected to be fired. He said the action was ordered by university rector Petra De Sutter.
US mission condemns ‘retaliation’
In a strongly worded statement, the US Mission to Belgium described the suspension as retaliation against an American scholar following what it called his “accurate whistleblower reporting on academic fraud”.The mission said the US government regularly funds and supports research, academic exchanges and other engagements with overseas universities and was therefore reviewing any relationships it had with Ghent University.“Dishonest, corrupt institutions that engage in, or reward, scapegoating mob behavior are not desirable partners for us,” the statement said.It also defended Cofnas on free speech grounds, saying controversial views were protected and that his academic views had been known to Ghent University when he was hired.
Suspension follows Arday controversy
The move followed Cofnas’s detailed July analysis of Arday’s academic work, in which he alleged that parts of the late professor’s 2015 PhD thesis closely matched earlier academic material, including work by other scholars.Arday acknowledged citation errors but denied intentional academic misconduct, attributing problems with his doctoral work to inadequate supervision and his autism.The allegations prompted wider scrutiny of Arday’s academic record. Cambridge University later announced an investigation into his qualifications and honorary appointments, after which Arday resigned. He was subsequently found dead on August 14.On August 19, Ghent University said it was taking Cofnas’s recent public statements about the Arday case “very seriously” and would take “appropriate action within its powers and the applicable framework”.The university did not specify what Cofnas was accused of doing and said it would not prejudge the outcome of the matter, citing the confidentiality of the personnel process.Cofnas joined Ghent University as a postdoctoral researcher in 2026. His appointment had already attracted criticism from some staff and students over his views on hereditarianism and differences between groups.
