Nathan Cofnas, the academic who accused the late Professor Jason Arday of plagiarism, is scheduled to speak at an Oxford University event next month, and protesters are not having it.
Oxford Stand Up to Racism has called a protest for Nov. 17 ahead of Cofnas’ speech at Oxford’s Oriel College. The demonstration follows continued scrutiny of Cofnas’ allegations against Arday, who died in August. The organization posted an open letter urging cancellation of the event titled “An Evening with Nathan Cofnas: Is DEI Undermining Higher Education?” The group also published a flyer with Cofnas’ face crossed out to promote the protest.
Cofnas is a philosopher at Ghent University in Belgium and a self-proclaimed “race realist” who has connected Black people to intellectual inferiority, according to BBC News. In August, The Root reported that Ghent University suspended Cofnas following the probe, but the short-lived suspension became a three-month teaching ban. Cofnas was still allowed to continue his research.
The Oxford University Reform Society (OURS) will host Cofnas’ talk and describes itself on its website as “a student-led society committed to political reform, free discussion, and civic engagement across Oxford and partner institutions.”
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Cofnas, who hasn’t shied away from posting on X, recently shared a screenshot of a statement from OURS that read in part, “OURS is committed to resisting the performative victimhood of dominant groups seeking to manufacture their own marginalisation to continue to exclude Cofnas from University spaces.”
Oriel College responded to the controversy with a statement on October 26 reaffirming its commitment to “upholding freedom of speech within the law and has a statutory duty to do so. This includes the freedom to express views that many find deeply offensive.” In the same statement, the college also committed to “promoting inclusion and maintaining an environment that is free from all forms of discrimination and harassment, including racial discrimination.” The college also clarified that permitting the event does not mean it endorses Cofnas’ views.
Arday, who was a sociologist, made history in 2023 as Cambridge University’s youngest Black professor. Last July, Cofnas published a blog post accusing the then-41-year-old of plagiarizing work and fabricating details of his life story. As The Root previously reported in August, Cofnas’ allegations prompted a plagiarism probe and snowballed into an international scandal. Arday, who spoke openly about having autism and dyslexia and not being able to read or write until he was 18, died following the probe. Police described his death as “unexpected” and did not believe it was suspicious, according to CBS News.
NBC News previously reported that Arday was widely celebrated for advocating for diversity in higher education and social justice. His memoir titled “Great and Unfortunate Things” was published posthumously.
