Ghent University suspends Nathan Cofnas, the academic who accused Jason Arday of plagiarism
Ghent University suspended postdoctoral researcher Nathan Cofnas on August 20, 2026, pending a preliminary disciplinary investigation into his public statements about Jason Arday. Arday, Cambridge's youngest Black professor, resigned on August 5 amid a plagiarism investigation and was found dead on August 13. The U.S. ambassador to Belgium criticized the suspension, and Ghent's philosophy department had separately questioned Cofnas's qualifications for his role.
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Divergence score
This event sits in the top 2% of divergence this week. 12 outlets covered it, splitting into 12 framing camps across 4 bias groups.
12 camps
4 bias groups
The spectrum · how 12 outlets placed this story
LeftCenterRight
Daily Wire
The Guardian
Breitbart
Washington Examiner
Al Jazeera
Washington Times
Globe and Mail
South China Morning Post
Wall Street Journal
The Hill
NY Post
Reuters
Supportive of action
Neutral
Dismissive
Critical
Alarmist
International angle
Widest split · the two outlets furthest apart, and who published first
Furthest apart on this story
Daily Wire
Scholar Who Exposed Black Cambridge Prof's Plagiarism Suspended As School Decries 'Discrimination'
whistleblower punished for exposing fraud · positive
The Guardian
Ghent professors challenged expertise of Jason Arday's plagiarism accuser
Cofnas unqualified and promotes racial pseudoscience · negative
First to report
- Reutersfirst
- Breitbart+6.7 h
- South China Morning Post+7.9 h
- Al Jazeera+9.9 h
- Washington Times+11.9 h
- Wall Street Journal+16.6 h
- NY Post+24.2 h
- Daily Wire+28.9 h
- The Hill+34.3 h
- Washington Examiner+35.4 h
- Globe and Mail+147.9 h
- The Guardian+163.6 h
By each outlet's earliest publish time in this story. Feeds that index slowly can appear later than they printed.
The split, in one line
Right-leaning outlets frame Cofnas as a whistleblower punished for exposing fraud; left-leaning and international outlets frame him as a race realist whose harassment led to a death; wires report the suspension factually.
How each outlet covered it
Two readings of the same facts
The left and the right lead with different language. The loaded words each chose are highlighted.
THE LEFT
“Ghent professors challenged expertise of Jason Arday's plagiarism accuser”G The Guardian LEFT
53DIVERGENCE
THE RIGHT
“Scholar Who Exposed Black Cambridge Prof's Plagiarism Suspended As School Decries 'Discrimination'”DW Daily Wire RIGHT
DOWN THE MIDDLE
“Academic who raised plagiarism allegations against Jason Arday suspended by his university” · Al Jazeera, Globe and Mail, South China Morning Post, The Hill, Reuters
+Hide the full sourcingSee how all 12 outlets put it
LEFT1
GThe Guardian Ghent professors challenged expertise of Jason Arday's plagiarism accuser 16d ago CENTER2
HThe Hill US ambassador to Belgium criticizes Ghent University's suspension of professor over Jason Arday accusations 22d ago RReuters Academic who raised plagiarism allegations against Jason Arday suspended by his university 23d ago RIGHT-CENTER1
WSJWall Street Journal The Controversial Academic Who Ignited the Jason Arday Furor - WSJ 23d ago RIGHT5
DWDaily Wire Scholar Who Exposed Black Cambridge Prof's Plagiarism Suspended As School Decries 'Discrimination' 22d ago BBreitbart Cambridge Scandal: American Academic Who Exposed Alleged Jason Arday Plagiarism Suspended by Own University Over 'Discrimination' Probe 23d ago WEWashington Examiner US threatens Belgian university over suspension of academic who exposed Jason Arday fraud 22d ago WTWashington Times Academic who accused Cambridge professor of plagiarism suspended 23d ago NYPNY Post Belgian academic who accused late Cambridge professor Jason Arday of plagiarism suspended from his university 22d ago INTERNATIONAL3
AJAl Jazeera University suspends US academic leading Jason Arday plagiarism accusations 23d ago GMGlobe and Mail Inquest opens into death of former Cambridge professor accused of plagiarism 17d ago SCSouth China Morning Post Nathan Cofnas, academic behind Jason Arday plagiarism accusations, suspended from post 23d ago 9 tracked claims across 12 outlets
Fact ledger
All9Disputed1Claimed3Corroborated5
10/12
Disputed
Whether Cofnas's suspension is retaliation for whistleblowing or justified discipline for discriminatory conduct
Corroborated
Disputed
8 more tracked claimsSign up free to see the full ledger