• Jason Arday - the pile-on

    From The Todal@the_todal@icloud.com to uk.legal.moderated on Sat Aug 15 17:34:17 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    When our press and broadcast media hound a person to death, doesn't that
    mean we need more press regulation? Or would that be "censorship" and
    does the nation have the "right" to know all the allegations, all the
    details, whether proved or unproved?

    This is an interesting summary of how the Press has reported on the topic.

    https://newscord.org/editorials/jason-arday-pile-on

    quote

    249 articles in 22 days, outlet by outlet

    We counted every distinct article substantively about Jason Arday
    published by the national outlets below between 24 July 2026, when the Telegraph brought the allegations mainstream, and roughly 10pm on 14
    August 2026, the day he was found dead. News, features, columns, leaders
    and letters pages all count once; a passing mention inside a piece about something else does not count at all. Every article is listed, with its
    link, in the table at the bottom of this page. Death-day figures are
    floors: the census was taken hours after his death was announced, while
    the follow-ups were still landing.

    One honest finding up front: this was not a red-top phenomenon. The
    Mirror ran two pieces and the Daily Star one; the BBC and Sky covered it
    as news, at news volume. The pile-on was led from the top of the market:
    The Times, the Telegraph, the Mail, the Spectator and the Express
    account for 158 of the articles counted here.


    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Roger Hayter@roger@hayter.org to uk.legal.moderated on Sat Aug 15 17:00:17 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 15 Aug 2026 at 17:34:17 BST, "The Todal" <the_todal@icloud.com> wrote:

    When our press and broadcast media hound a person to death, doesn't that
    mean we need more press regulation? Or would that be "censorship" and
    does the nation have the "right" to know all the allegations, all the details, whether proved or unproved?

    This is an interesting summary of how the Press has reported on the topic.

    https://newscord.org/editorials/jason-arday-pile-on

    quote

    249 articles in 22 days, outlet by outlet

    We counted every distinct article substantively about Jason Arday
    published by the national outlets below between 24 July 2026, when the Telegraph brought the allegations mainstream, and roughly 10pm on 14
    August 2026, the day he was found dead. News, features, columns, leaders
    and letters pages all count once; a passing mention inside a piece about something else does not count at all. Every article is listed, with its
    link, in the table at the bottom of this page. Death-day figures are
    floors: the census was taken hours after his death was announced, while
    the follow-ups were still landing.

    One honest finding up front: this was not a red-top phenomenon. The
    Mirror ran two pieces and the Daily Star one; the BBC and Sky covered it
    as news, at news volume. The pile-on was led from the top of the market:
    The Times, the Telegraph, the Mail, the Spectator and the Express
    account for 158 of the articles counted here.

    It just goes to illustrate the voracious appetite for the appeasement of
    racism that these publications' readers have.
    --

    Roger Hayter

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Spike@aero.spike@mail.com to uk.legal.moderated on Sat Aug 15 17:31:06 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    The Todal <the_todal@icloud.com> wrote:
    When our press and broadcast media hound a person to death, doesn't that mean we need more press regulation? Or would that be "censorship" and
    does the nation have the "right" to know all the allegations, all the details, whether proved or unproved?

    This is an interesting summary of how the Press has reported on the topic.

    https://newscord.org/editorials/jason-arday-pile-on

    quote

    249 articles in 22 days, outlet by outlet

    We counted every distinct article substantively about Jason Arday
    published by the national outlets below between 24 July 2026, when the Telegraph brought the allegations mainstream, and roughly 10pm on 14
    August 2026, the day he was found dead. News, features, columns, leaders
    and letters pages all count once; a passing mention inside a piece about something else does not count at all. Every article is listed, with its link, in the table at the bottom of this page. Death-day figures are
    floors: the census was taken hours after his death was announced, while
    the follow-ups were still landing.

    One honest finding up front: this was not a red-top phenomenon. The
    Mirror ran two pieces and the Daily Star one; the BBC and Sky covered it
    as news, at news volume. The pile-on was led from the top of the market:
    The Times, the Telegraph, the Mail, the Spectator and the Express
    account for 158 of the articles counted here.

    A quick count-up until boredom set in found over 20 articles in The
    Guardian. Any particular reason the paper wasnrCOt listed in the survey mentioned above?

    Perhaps itrCOs just a case of The Guardian not being included in rCOthe top of the marketrCO?
    --
    Spike

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Roger Hayter@roger@hayter.org to uk.legal.moderated on Sat Aug 15 19:25:38 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 15 Aug 2026 at 18:31:06 BST, "Spike" <aero.spike@mail.com> wrote:

    The Todal <the_todal@icloud.com> wrote:
    When our press and broadcast media hound a person to death, doesn't that
    mean we need more press regulation? Or would that be "censorship" and
    does the nation have the "right" to know all the allegations, all the
    details, whether proved or unproved?

    This is an interesting summary of how the Press has reported on the topic. >>
    https://newscord.org/editorials/jason-arday-pile-on

    quote

    249 articles in 22 days, outlet by outlet

    We counted every distinct article substantively about Jason Arday
    published by the national outlets below between 24 July 2026, when the
    Telegraph brought the allegations mainstream, and roughly 10pm on 14
    August 2026, the day he was found dead. News, features, columns, leaders
    and letters pages all count once; a passing mention inside a piece about
    something else does not count at all. Every article is listed, with its
    link, in the table at the bottom of this page. Death-day figures are
    floors: the census was taken hours after his death was announced, while
    the follow-ups were still landing.

    One honest finding up front: this was not a red-top phenomenon. The
    Mirror ran two pieces and the Daily Star one; the BBC and Sky covered it
    as news, at news volume. The pile-on was led from the top of the market:
    The Times, the Telegraph, the Mail, the Spectator and the Express
    account for 158 of the articles counted here.

    A quick count-up until boredom set in found over 20 articles in The
    Guardian. Any particular reason the paper wasnrCOt listed in the survey mentioned above?

    Perhaps itrCOs just a case of The Guardian not being included in rCOthe top of
    the marketrCO?

    Perhaps because they only had 60 percent as many as the average of the top five? Perhaps they were part of the long tail of distribution.
    --

    Roger Hayter

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Jon Ribbens@jon+usenet@unequivocal.eu to uk.legal.moderated on Sat Aug 15 19:30:14 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 2026-08-15, Spike <aero.spike@mail.com> wrote:
    The Todal <the_todal@icloud.com> wrote:
    When our press and broadcast media hound a person to death, doesn't that
    mean we need more press regulation? Or would that be "censorship" and
    does the nation have the "right" to know all the allegations, all the
    details, whether proved or unproved?

    This is an interesting summary of how the Press has reported on the topic. >>
    https://newscord.org/editorials/jason-arday-pile-on

    quote

    249 articles in 22 days, outlet by outlet

    We counted every distinct article substantively about Jason Arday
    published by the national outlets below between 24 July 2026, when the
    Telegraph brought the allegations mainstream, and roughly 10pm on 14
    August 2026, the day he was found dead. News, features, columns, leaders
    and letters pages all count once; a passing mention inside a piece about
    something else does not count at all. Every article is listed, with its
    link, in the table at the bottom of this page. Death-day figures are
    floors: the census was taken hours after his death was announced, while
    the follow-ups were still landing.

    One honest finding up front: this was not a red-top phenomenon. The
    Mirror ran two pieces and the Daily Star one; the BBC and Sky covered it
    as news, at news volume. The pile-on was led from the top of the market:
    The Times, the Telegraph, the Mail, the Spectator and the Express
    account for 158 of the articles counted here.

    A quick count-up until boredom set in found over 20 articles in The
    Guardian. Any particular reason the paper wasnrCOt listed in the survey mentioned above?

    ... it was? It's number 6 on the chart at the top of the page?

    You appear to have a point though that that editorial sentence lists the newspapers in decreasing order of number of articles, but excludes The Independent and The Guardian for no obvious reason.

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Mark Goodge@usenet@listmail.good-stuff.co.uk to uk.legal.moderated on Sat Aug 15 21:39:48 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:34:17 +0100, The Todal <the_todal@icloud.com> wrote:

    When our press and broadcast media hound a person to death, doesn't that >mean we need more press regulation? Or would that be "censorship" and
    does the nation have the "right" to know all the allegations, all the >details, whether proved or unproved?

    This is an interesting summary of how the Press has reported on the topic.

    https://newscord.org/editorials/jason-arday-pile-on

    How many of those articles were primarily about Arday, and how many were primarily about Cambridge University? The article doesn't say, but it is a
    key data point.

    Contrary to assertions made by some commentators, Arday is hardly unique.
    There has been strong media interest in other people who have been caught inventing parts of their life story or indulging in plagiarism. Raynor Winn, Johann Hari and Rachel Dolezal are three which come to mind. But the
    difference here is that Arday's fantasies were facilitated and even promoted
    by one of the world's leading academic institutions. It's that aspect which
    has amplified the story far beyond a simple tale of one person's wrongdoing.

    One honest finding up front: this was not a red-top phenomenon. The
    Mirror ran two pieces and the Daily Star one; the BBC and Sky covered it
    as news, at news volume. The pile-on was led from the top of the market:
    The Times, the Telegraph, the Mail, the Spectator and the Express
    account for 158 of the articles counted here.

    Plus, of course, the Guardian and the Independent, which don't get mentioned
    in this paragraph. The Times/Sunday Times is, unsurprisngly, at the top, because they initially broke the story and because one of their journalists
    was first threatened with legal action by Arday and then reported to the
    police for harassment - tactics previously employed by the likes of Noel
    Clarke and Laurence Fox, among others.

    But most of the rest of the reporting was, as the article accurately states, from the top end of the market. The BBC ran 50% more stories prior to
    Arday's death than did GB News, which doesn't quite fit with the latter's general eagerness to run anything they can that's "anti-woke".

    Because, ultimately, this story isn't really about Arday. It *is* primarily about serious leadership failures at Cambridge University. Jason Arday
    himself would never have been a major story if it were not for what was, in retrospect, a badly msjudged appointment.

    And those aren't my words. Professor Priyamvada Gopal, hardly a candidate
    for being tarred with the racist pile-on brush, is quoted in the Guardian as saying that "An independent investigation must scrutinise how such an early-career appointment to a very senior and prestigious professorial chair was made and what both the faculty of education and university management
    may have got very badly wrong." and "This requires accountability now from those responsible, not a cover-up."[1]

    Arday hmself has been caught in the crossfire here. The real pile-on wasn't aimed at him, it was aimed at his (former) employer. And it would not have happened if the university hadn't been so utterly desperate to massage their ethnic minority employment stats that they deliberately neglected to carry
    out due diligence on a high profile appointment.

    That failure has now not only blown up in their own faces, but has led to
    the tragic death of the pawn in their game. There will be no justice for
    Jason Arday if heads do not roll at Cambridge.

    [1] https://tinyurl.com/2s4m4wxw as shortened from https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/aug/06/jason-arday-cambridge-dons-demand-accountability-grotesque-racism

    Mark

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From RJH@patchmoney@gmx.com to uk.legal.moderated on Sun Aug 16 03:05:40 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 15 Aug 2026 at 20:30:14 BST, Jon Ribbens wrote:

    On 2026-08-15, Spike <aero.spike@mail.com> wrote:
    The Todal <the_todal@icloud.com> wrote:
    When our press and broadcast media hound a person to death, doesn't that >>> mean we need more press regulation? Or would that be "censorship" and
    does the nation have the "right" to know all the allegations, all the
    details, whether proved or unproved?

    This is an interesting summary of how the Press has reported on the topic. >>>
    https://newscord.org/editorials/jason-arday-pile-on

    quote

    249 articles in 22 days, outlet by outlet

    We counted every distinct article substantively about Jason Arday
    published by the national outlets below between 24 July 2026, when the
    Telegraph brought the allegations mainstream, and roughly 10pm on 14
    August 2026, the day he was found dead. News, features, columns, leaders >>> and letters pages all count once; a passing mention inside a piece about >>> something else does not count at all. Every article is listed, with its
    link, in the table at the bottom of this page. Death-day figures are
    floors: the census was taken hours after his death was announced, while
    the follow-ups were still landing.

    One honest finding up front: this was not a red-top phenomenon. The
    Mirror ran two pieces and the Daily Star one; the BBC and Sky covered it >>> as news, at news volume. The pile-on was led from the top of the market: >>> The Times, the Telegraph, the Mail, the Spectator and the Express
    account for 158 of the articles counted here.

    A quick count-up until boredom set in found over 20 articles in The
    Guardian. Any particular reason the paper wasnrCOt listed in the survey
    mentioned above?

    ... it was? It's number 6 on the chart at the top of the page?

    You appear to have a point though that that editorial sentence lists the newspapers in decreasing order of number of articles, but excludes The Independent and The Guardian for no obvious reason.

    And there's further mention of the Guardian's case to answer further down the page ('Developing - added 15 August').
    --
    Cheers, Rob
    Sheffield, UK

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Roland Perry@roland@perry.uk to uk.legal.moderated on Sun Aug 16 08:00:13 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    In message <nebio9F74l7U1@mid.individual.net>, at 17:34:17 on Sat, 15
    Aug 2026, The Todal <the_todal@icloud.com> remarked:

    When our press and broadcast media hound a person to death, doesn't
    that mean we need more press regulation?

    It depends a bit on whether the person in question is a professional self-publicist or not. Live by the sword etc.

    Or would that be "censorship" and does the nation have the "right" to
    know all the allegations, all the details, whether proved or unproved?

    This is an interesting summary of how the Press has reported on the topic.

    https://newscord.org/editorials/jason-arday-pile-on

    quote

    249 articles in 22 days, outlet by outlet

    We counted every distinct article substantively about Jason Arday
    published by the national outlets below between 24 July 2026, when the >Telegraph brought the allegations mainstream, and roughly 10pm on 14
    August 2026, the day he was found dead. News, features, columns,
    leaders and letters pages all count once; a passing mention inside a
    piece about something else does not count at all. Every article is
    listed, with its link, in the table at the bottom of this page.
    Death-day figures are floors: the census was taken hours after his
    death was announced, while the follow-ups were still landing.

    One honest finding up front: this was not a red-top phenomenon. The
    Mirror ran two pieces and the Daily Star one; the BBC and Sky covered
    it as news, at news volume. The pile-on was led from the top of the
    market: The Times, the Telegraph, the Mail, the Spectator and the
    Express account for 158 of the articles counted here.


    --
    Roland Perry

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Pancho@Pancho.Jones@protonmail.com to uk.legal.moderated on Sat Aug 15 22:51:32 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 8/15/26 21:39, Mark Goodge wrote:


    Because, ultimately, this story isn't really about Arday. It *is* primarily about serious leadership failures at Cambridge University. Jason Arday himself would never have been a major story if it were not for what was, in retrospect, a badly msjudged appointment.

    And those aren't my words. Professor Priyamvada Gopal, hardly a candidate
    for being tarred with the racist pile-on brush, is quoted in the Guardian as saying that "An independent investigation must scrutinise how such an early-career appointment to a very senior and prestigious professorial chair was made and what both the faculty of education and university management
    may have got very badly wrong." and "This requires accountability now from those responsible, not a cover-up."[1]

    Arday hmself has been caught in the crossfire here. The real pile-on wasn't aimed at him, it was aimed at his (former) employer. And it would not have happened if the university hadn't been so utterly desperate to massage their ethnic minority employment stats that they deliberately neglected to carry out due diligence on a high profile appointment.

    That failure has now not only blown up in their own faces, but has led to
    the tragic death of the pawn in their game. There will be no justice for Jason Arday if heads do not roll at Cambridge.


    I agree 100% Cambridge is to blame. Arday appears to have been an
    extreme Walter Mitty type, but Cambridge should have had a duty of care towards him. Cambridge thrust him into the limelight.

    There is also the involvement of Nathan Cofnas, a man apparently kicked
    out of Cambridge for telling the truth, or at least he presented a
    defensible version of it. Academic freedom should have protected him.
    The media dog piled on him too.

    It is worth listening to Cofnas.


    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From JNugent@JNugent73@mail.com to uk.legal.moderated on Sun Aug 16 10:14:12 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 15/08/2026 10:51 PM, Pancho wrote:

    I agree 100% Cambridge is to blame. Arday appears to have been an
    extreme Walter Mitty type,

    I don't think so. He must have been the main author of his own position
    as "professor". Cambridge University didn't award him a doctorate. They
    didn't make up all the stories about being illiterate until 18 but being
    able to pass some GCSEs at 16. Or the one about having been to Brazil, installing water pumps or the part about having run 600 miles in six,
    later expanded to twelve, days. There were other parts of the claimed back-story equally as likely.

    but Cambridge should have had a duty of care
    towards him. Cambridge thrust him into the limelight.

    Was he headhunted? Surely he must hav e filled in an application form?

    There is also the involvement of Nathan Cofnas, a man apparently kicked
    out of Cambridge for telling the truth, or at least he presented a
    defensible version of it. Academic freedom should have protected him.
    The media dog piled on him too.

    It is worth listening to Cofnas.

    What did he say (link)?


    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Jon Ribbens@jon+usenet@unequivocal.eu to uk.legal.moderated on Sun Aug 16 13:08:27 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 2026-08-15, Pancho <Pancho.Jones@protonmail.com> wrote:
    On 8/15/26 21:39, Mark Goodge wrote:
    That failure has now not only blown up in their own faces, but has
    led to the tragic death of the pawn in their game. There will be no
    justice for Jason Arday if heads do not roll at Cambridge.

    I agree 100% Cambridge is to blame. Arday appears to have been an
    extreme Walter Mitty type, but Cambridge should have had a duty of
    care towards him. Cambridge thrust him into the limelight.

    Cambridge deserves blame of course, not least in failing to
    protect him, but a great deal of blame lies with the media also.

    There is also the involvement of Nathan Cofnas, a man apparently
    kicked out of Cambridge for telling the truth, or at least he
    presented a defensible version of it.

    By "telling the truth", you mean "Black people are stupid"?
    That is not the truth, nor is it defensible. Nor, for that
    matter, was he "kicked out of Cambridge" for it - he resigned.

    (It is true that Emmanuel College terminated their association
    with him as a result of his writings, and in return he sued
    them and comprehensively lost.*)

    Academic freedom should have protected him. The media dog piled
    on him too.

    Hopefully it is just getting started. (Obviously I don't wish him
    dead, but he should be persona non grata in all academic circles.)

    It is worth listening to Cofnas.

    It absolutely is not worth listening to Cofnas, except perhaps
    to collect evidence to condemn him.


    * https://bfsp.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Cofnas-v-Emmanuel-College-judgment.3.26.pdf

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Pamela@uklm@permabulator.33mail.com to uk.legal.moderated on Sun Aug 16 15:36:29 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 14:08 16 Aug 2026, Jon Ribbens said:
    On 2026-08-15, Pancho <Pancho.Jones@protonmail.com> wrote:
    On 8/15/26 21:39, Mark Goodge wrote:

    That failure has now not only blown up in their own faces, but has
    led to the tragic death of the pawn in their game. There will be no
    justice for Jason Arday if heads do not roll at Cambridge.

    I agree 100% Cambridge is to blame. Arday appears to have been an
    extreme Walter Mitty type, but Cambridge should have had a duty of
    care towards him. Cambridge thrust him into the limelight.

    Cambridge deserves blame of course, not least in failing to
    protect him, but a great deal of blame lies with the media also.

    There is also the involvement of Nathan Cofnas, a man apparently
    kicked out of Cambridge for telling the truth, or at least he
    presented a defensible version of it.

    By "telling the truth", you mean "Black people are stupid"?
    That is not the truth, nor is it defensible. Nor, for that
    matter, was he "kicked out of Cambridge" for it - he resigned.

    (It is true that Emmanuel College terminated their association
    with him as a result of his writings, and in return he sued
    them and comprehensively lost.*)

    Academic freedom should have protected him. The media dog piled
    on him too.

    Hopefully it is just getting started. (Obviously I don't wish him
    dead, but he should be persona non grata in all academic circles.)

    It is worth listening to Cofnas.

    It absolutely is not worth listening to Cofnas, except perhaps
    to collect evidence to condemn him.

    * https://bfsp.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Cofnas-v-Emmanuel- College-judgment.3.26.pdf

    For a fuller picture, there is also a statement issued by Cambridge
    University after its disciplinary investigation into Nathan Cofnas. It
    says:

    "A rigorous inquiry concluded that his published views, while seen
    by many as offensive, did not breach the law and did not contravene
    University regulations designed to uphold free speech."

    <https://www.cam.ac.uk/notices/news/statement-on-disciplinary- investigation-dr-cofnas>

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Martin Brown@'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk to uk.legal.moderated on Sun Aug 16 16:10:38 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 16/08/2026 10:14, JNugent wrote:
    On 15/08/2026 10:51 PM, Pancho wrote:

    I agree 100% Cambridge is to blame. Arday appears to have been an
    extreme Walter Mitty type,

    I don't think so. He must have been the main author of his own position
    as "professor".

    He probably applied for the vacant post along with others and clearly interviewed well enough to convince the panel to offer him the post.

    Cambridge University didn't award him a doctorate. They

    Liverpool John Moores University did.

    didn't make up all the stories about being illiterate until 18 but being able to pass some GCSEs at 16.

    That isn't unknown either. One of my contemporaries at university was functionally illiterate through dyslexia in English but so brilliant at mathematics that he still got a scholarship and PhD. His way of thinking
    was different but just as effective. He was seldom wrong.

    He went on to have an impressive career alongside top tier
    mathematicians. His exam questions had an interesting twist - there was invariably a quick way to solve them if you had *really* understood the
    course and a hard way to slog through the algebra if you didn't.

    Or the one about having been to Brazil,
    installing water pumps or the part about having run 600 miles in six,
    later expanded to twelve, days. There were other parts of the claimed back-story equally as likely.

    It seems to me like the interview panel didn't do basic due diligence.
    I'm particularly concerned with the claimed published book that wasn't. Checking publications on an academic CV is a basic verification step.

    I don't care if he took 6 days or 12 to run some insane distance.

    but Cambridge should have had a duty of care
    towards him. Cambridge thrust him into the limelight.

    Was he headhunted? Surely he must hav e filled in an application form?

    There is also the involvement of Nathan Cofnas, a man apparently kicked
    out of Cambridge for telling the truth, or at least he presented a
    defensible version of it. Academic freedom should have protected him.
    The media dog piled on him too.

    It is worth listening to Cofnas.

    What did he say (link)?

    A self styled "race-realist" and former fellow of Emmanuel College and
    this is a contemporaneous article in Varsity about his departure:

    https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/27420

    The irony is that Cofnas might actually be right about the narrow point
    of there being some element of plagiarism in work by Arday. Liverpool
    John Moores investigated that in his PhD and were satisfied that it was unfounded. We can't know for sure until there is a detailed enquiry

    But given the obnoxious nature of some of his accusers I am inclined to
    give Arday the benefit of the doubt for now. Cambridge painted a big
    target on his back by appointing him as the youngest ever black professor.

    And more importantly Cambridge University as his employer failed to
    adequately protect him when he was under such extreme pressure from
    external forces and the media witch hunt that he felt he had to resign.

    His untimely death is a great tragedy for Arday and his family.

    I am reminded of To Kill a Mockingbird.
    --
    Martin Brown


    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Pamela@uklm@permabulator.33mail.com to uk.legal.moderated on Sun Aug 16 16:13:24 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 21:39 15 Aug 2026, Mark Goodge said:
    On Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:34:17 +0100, The Todal wrote:


    When our press and broadcast media hound a person to death, doesn't
    that mean we need more press regulation? Or would that be
    "censorship" and does the nation have the "right" to know all the >>allegations, all the details, whether proved or unproved?

    This is an interesting summary of how the Press has reported on the
    topic.

    https://newscord.org/editorials/jason-arday-pile-on

    How many of those articles were primarily about Arday, and how many
    were primarily about Cambridge University? The article doesn't say,
    but it is a key data point.

    Contrary to assertions made by some commentators, Arday is hardly
    unique. There has been strong media interest in other people who have
    been caught inventing parts of their life story or indulging in
    plagiarism. Raynor Winn, Johann Hari and Rachel Dolezal are three
    which come to mind. But the difference here is that Arday's fantasies
    were facilitated and even promoted by one of the world's leading
    academic institutions. It's that aspect which has amplified the story
    far beyond a simple tale of one person's wrongdoing.

    One honest finding up front: this was not a red-top phenomenon. The
    Mirror ran two pieces and the Daily Star one; the BBC and Sky covered
    it as news, at news volume. The pile-on was led from the top of the
    market: The Times, the Telegraph, the Mail, the Spectator and the
    Express account for 158 of the articles counted here.

    Plus, of course, the Guardian and the Independent, which don't get
    mentioned in this paragraph. The Times/Sunday Times is,
    unsurprisngly, at the top, because they initially broke the story and
    because one of their journalists was first threatened with legal
    action by Arday and then reported to the police for harassment -
    tactics previously employed by the likes of Noel Clarke and Laurence
    Fox, among others.

    But most of the rest of the reporting was, as the article accurately
    states, from the top end of the market. The BBC ran 50% more stories
    prior to Arday's death than did GB News, which doesn't quite fit
    with the latter's general eagerness to run anything they can that's "anti-woke".

    Because, ultimately, this story isn't really about Arday. It *is*
    primarily about serious leadership failures at Cambridge University.
    Jason Arday himself would never have been a major story if it were
    not for what was, in retrospect, a badly msjudged appointment.

    And those aren't my words. Professor Priyamvada Gopal, hardly a
    candidate for being tarred with the racist pile-on brush, is quoted
    in the Guardian as saying that "An independent investigation must
    scrutinise how such an early-career appointment to a very senior and prestigious professorial chair was made and what both the faculty of education and university management may have got very badly wrong."
    and "This requires accountability now from those responsible, not a cover-up."[1]

    Arday hmself has been caught in the crossfire here. The real pile-on
    wasn't aimed at him, it was aimed at his (former) employer. And it
    would not have happened if the university hadn't been so utterly
    desperate to massage their ethnic minority employment stats that they deliberately neglected to carry out due diligence on a high profile appointment.

    That failure has now not only blown up in their own faces, but has
    led to the tragic death of the pawn in their game. There will be no
    justice for Jason Arday if heads do not roll at Cambridge.

    [1] https://tinyurl.com/2s4m4wxw as shortened from https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/aug/06/jason-arday- cambridge-dons-demand-accountability-grotesque-racism

    Mark


    It's sad Jason Arday is dead. Presumably suicide, although you never
    know until it's confirmed.

    Cambridge University elevated Jason Arday to unsustainable heights
    while gaslighting him about his abilities. His head of department, Prof
    Hilary Cremin, fawned sickeningly to Arday in a BBC programme:

    "You are the best in the world in the world in terms of the
    research that you do."

    Arday was a gullible fantasist who could only maintain academia's sham
    by plagiarism and threats of retaliatory legal action. In the end their
    whole house of cards came down.

    He appears to have had some significant mental health problem and
    didn't properly understand how others might see his bizarre claims:

    When Arday was asked about his claims by the Guardian, he stood
    by them. "To be honest with you, I thought youAd just believe me,"
    he said. "Why would I lie?"

    Ironically his mother and brother are mental health nurses but rather
    than obtain help for him they sustained his fantasy claims, as did
    Arday's wife in a television broadcast where she tells of the 30
    marathons in 35 days he supposedly ran. What made them all sustain the
    sham?

    <https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng- interactive/2026/aug/01/playbooks-plagiarism-pigs-head-new-claims- surrounding-cambridge-professor-jason-arday>

    What an awful mess the progressive woke Left created. As usual
    according to their playbook, they now attack the *motives* of anyone
    exposing the scandal rather than dealing honestly and accepting the
    facts.

    The Good Law Project is doing no-one any favours by its open letter
    with demands for ever more state regulation of investigation by the
    media.

    <https://goodlawproject.org/petition/jason-arday-letter/>

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From RJH@patchmoney@gmx.com to uk.legal.moderated on Sun Aug 16 16:11:44 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 16 Aug 2026 at 16:10:38 BST, Martin Brown wrote:

    The irony is that Cofnas might actually be right about the narrow point
    of there being some element of plagiarism in work by Arday. Liverpool
    John Moores investigated that in his PhD and were satisfied that it was unfounded. We can't know for sure until there is a detailed enquiry


    Context is all.

    I examined a PhD a few years back and knocked it back on plagiarism - twice.
    It was pretty routine - several passages of about 100 words lifted from online sources. Easy to spot. I marked out all the relevant sections, and was surprised (to say the least) when the resubmission was barely changed.

    I was discharged as examiner at that point, and I couldn't pass the PhD. I was told later that a new examination panel was convened and the PhD passed, and that there were mitigating circumstances related to neurodiversity that affected the assessment. I don't know why I wasn't told about it at the
    outset.

    I thought it was odd as there was a structured assessment criteria, and IMO at least you can't mitigate for plagiarism. But somehow it got through. FWIW I
    was very impressed with the candidate's viva, passed with aplomb - but their PhD is presumably out there, ripe for this sort of treatment.

    But given the obnoxious nature of some of his accusers I am inclined to
    give Arday the benefit of the doubt for now. Cambridge painted a big
    target on his back by appointing him as the youngest ever black professor.

    And more importantly Cambridge University as his employer failed to adequately protect him when he was under such extreme pressure from
    external forces and the media witch hunt that he felt he had to resign.

    His untimely death is a great tragedy for Arday and his family.

    I am reminded of To Kill a Mockingbird.

    Agreed. And I think JMU have a bit of explaining to do.

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From JNugent@JNugent73@mail.com to uk.legal.moderated on Sun Aug 16 18:09:59 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 16/08/2026 04:10 PM, Martin Brown wrote:

    On 16/08/2026 10:14, JNugent wrote:
    On 15/08/2026 10:51 PM, Pancho wrote:

    I agree 100% Cambridge is to blame. Arday appears to have been an
    extreme Walter Mitty type,

    I don't think so. He must have been the main author of his own
    position as "professor".

    He probably applied for the vacant post along with others and clearly interviewed well enough to convince the panel to offer him the post.

    Cambridge University didn't award him a doctorate. They

    Liverpool John Moores University did.

    Was there any need to interpose that? I said it all further down.

    didn't make up all the stories about being illiterate until 18 but
    being able to pass some GCSEs at 16.

    That isn't unknown either. One of my contemporaries at university was functionally illiterate through dyslexia in English but so brilliant at mathematics that he still got a scholarship and PhD. His way of thinking
    was different but just as effective. He was seldom wrong.

    Really?

    He went on to have an impressive career alongside top tier
    mathematicians. His exam questions had an interesting twist - there was invariably a quick way to solve them if you had *really* understood the course and a hard way to slog through the algebra if you didn't.

    Or the one about having been to Brazil, installing water pumps or the
    part about having run 600 miles in six, later expanded to twelve,
    days. There were other parts of the claimed back-story equally as likely.

    It seems to me like the interview panel didn't do basic due diligence.
    I'm particularly concerned with the claimed published book that wasn't. Checking publications on an academic CV is a basic verification step.

    Of course.

    I don't care if he took 6 days or 12 to run some insane distance.

    but Cambridge should have had a duty of care
    towards him. Cambridge thrust him into the limelight.

    Was he headhunted? Surely he must hav e filled in an application form?

    There is also the involvement of Nathan Cofnas, a man apparently kicked
    out of Cambridge for telling the truth, or at least he presented a
    defensible version of it. Academic freedom should have protected him.
    The media dog piled on him too.

    Isaw the quote at the bottom of Pamela's post.

    It is worth listening to Cofnas.

    What did he say (link)?

    A self styled "race-realist" and former fellow of Emmanuel College and
    this is a contemporaneous article in Varsity about his departure:

    https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/27420

    The irony is that Cofnas might actually be right about the narrow point
    of there being some element of plagiarism in work by Arday. Liverpool
    John Moores investigated that in his PhD and were satisfied that it was unfounded. We can't know for sure until there is a detailed enquiry

    But given the obnoxious nature of some of his accusers I am inclined to
    give Arday the benefit of the doubt for now. Cambridge painted a big
    target on his back by appointing him as the youngest ever black professor.

    And more importantly Cambridge University as his employer failed to adequately protect him when he was under such extreme pressure from
    external forces and the media witch hunt that he felt he had to resign.

    His untimely death is a great tragedy for Arday and his family.

    I am reminded of To Kill a Mockingbird.

    Never read it.

    I want to have read it, but not enough to read it (I do have a copy).

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Pancho@Pancho.Jones@protonmail.com to uk.legal.moderated on Sun Aug 16 20:48:02 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 8/16/26 14:08, Jon Ribbens wrote:
    On 2026-08-15, Pancho <Pancho.Jones@protonmail.com> wrote:
    On 8/15/26 21:39, Mark Goodge wrote:
    That failure has now not only blown up in their own faces, but has
    led to the tragic death of the pawn in their game. There will be no
    justice for Jason Arday if heads do not roll at Cambridge.

    I agree 100% Cambridge is to blame. Arday appears to have been an
    extreme Walter Mitty type, but Cambridge should have had a duty of
    care towards him. Cambridge thrust him into the limelight.

    Cambridge deserves blame of course, not least in failing to
    protect him, but a great deal of blame lies with the media also.


    Arday was a public figure. I'm not sure what it is the media are accused
    of doing wrong?


    There is also the involvement of Nathan Cofnas, a man apparently
    kicked out of Cambridge for telling the truth, or at least he
    presented a defensible version of it.

    By "telling the truth", you mean "Black people are stupid"?

    No, that is a strawman. The issue is far more nuanced. For instance,
    Cofnas claimed recent African immigrants to the UK had above average intelligence. Cofnas stated that there were benefits in positive discrimination, but that an assumption of equality led to it being
    applied inappropriately.

    That is not the truth, nor is it defensible. Nor, for that
    matter, was he "kicked out of Cambridge" for it - he resigned.


    AIUI, He was suspended, until his contract ran out.

    His position was defensible because empirical evidence shows IQ
    differences correlated with race. The idea of absolute equality would be
    very surprising, given we know intelligence is genetically heritable. Intelligent people tend to have more intelligent kids.

    Scientific ideas should be discussed.

    (It is true that Emmanuel College terminated their association
    with him as a result of his writings, and in return he sued
    them and comprehensively lost.*)

    Academic freedom should have protected him. The media dog piled
    on him too.

    Hopefully it is just getting started. (Obviously I don't wish him
    dead, but he should be persona non grata in all academic circles.)


    Why, because you don't like his ideas? It would be better to listen to
    Cofnas himself, because the media do appear to be misrepresenting him.

    It is worth listening to Cofnas.

    It absolutely is not worth listening to Cofnas, except perhaps
    to collect evidence to condemn him.


    * https://bfsp.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Cofnas-v-Emmanuel-College-judgment.3.26.pdf


    This was a case about protected beliefs, a very subjective topic, and employment law, why is it relevant? What should we infer from it?

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Mark Goodge@usenet@listmail.good-stuff.co.uk to uk.legal.moderated on Sun Aug 16 22:05:24 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On Sat, 15 Aug 2026 22:51:32 +0100, Pancho <Pancho.Jones@protonmail.com>
    wrote:

    On 8/15/26 21:39, Mark Goodge wrote:

    That failure has now not only blown up in their own faces, but has led to
    the tragic death of the pawn in their game. There will be no justice for
    Jason Arday if heads do not roll at Cambridge.


    I agree 100% Cambridge is to blame. Arday appears to have been an
    extreme Walter Mitty type, but Cambridge should have had a duty of care >towards him. Cambridge thrust him into the limelight.

    There is also the involvement of Nathan Cofnas, a man apparently kicked
    out of Cambridge for telling the truth, or at least he presented a >defensible version of it. Academic freedom should have protected him.
    The media dog piled on him too.

    It is worth listening to Cofnas.

    Cofnas is part of the problem. He is widely, and with some justification, regarded as racist. Which has made it easy for some of Arday's defenders to dismiss his claims on the basis that "a racist made those claims, so they
    can't possibly be true". Which is pure ad hominem, but it's a difficult line
    to rebut.

    Mark

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Mark Goodge@usenet@listmail.good-stuff.co.uk to uk.legal.moderated on Sun Aug 16 22:11:57 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On Sun, 16 Aug 2026 10:14:12 +0100, JNugent <JNugent73@mail.com> wrote:

    On 15/08/2026 10:51 PM, Pancho wrote:

    I agree 100% Cambridge is to blame. Arday appears to have been an
    extreme Walter Mitty type,

    I don't think so. He must have been the main author of his own position
    as "professor". Cambridge University didn't award him a doctorate. They >didn't make up all the stories about being illiterate until 18 but being >able to pass some GCSEs at 16. Or the one about having been to Brazil, >installing water pumps or the part about having run 600 miles in six,
    later expanded to twelve, days. There were other parts of the claimed >back-story equally as likely.

    Arday would still be a liar and a fantasist if he hadn't been appointed to a top job by Cambridge University. But he would also still be alive if he
    hadn't been appointed to a top job by Cambridge University.

    but Cambridge should have had a duty of care
    towards him. Cambridge thrust him into the limelight.

    Was he headhunted? Surely he must hav e filled in an application form?

    TRhis is one of the things that other academics at Cambridge are now
    demanding answers to.

    Mark

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Pancho@Pancho.Jones@protonmail.com to uk.legal.moderated on Sun Aug 16 22:42:13 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 8/16/26 22:05, Mark Goodge wrote:
    On Sat, 15 Aug 2026 22:51:32 +0100, Pancho <Pancho.Jones@protonmail.com> wrote:

    On 8/15/26 21:39, Mark Goodge wrote:

    That failure has now not only blown up in their own faces, but has led to >>> the tragic death of the pawn in their game. There will be no justice for >>> Jason Arday if heads do not roll at Cambridge.


    I agree 100% Cambridge is to blame. Arday appears to have been an
    extreme Walter Mitty type, but Cambridge should have had a duty of care
    towards him. Cambridge thrust him into the limelight.

    There is also the involvement of Nathan Cofnas, a man apparently kicked
    out of Cambridge for telling the truth, or at least he presented a
    defensible version of it. Academic freedom should have protected him.
    The media dog piled on him too.

    It is worth listening to Cofnas.

    Cofnas is part of the problem. He is widely, and with some justification, regarded as racist.

    I don't know what that means. Racism is a propaganda word, used to avoid debating things from first principles. We know racists are bad, so
    anything we define as racist is bad.

    Which has made it easy for some of Arday's defenders to
    dismiss his claims on the basis that "a racist made those claims, so they can't possibly be true". Which is pure ad hominem, but it's a difficult line to rebut.


    This doesn't follow the timeline. It seems Cofnas precipitated the
    widespread acknowledgement of doubts about Arday.

    This seems to be a catch-22 type scenario. Only a racist would raise questions, we shouldn't listen to racists.

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Jon Ribbens@jon+usenet@unequivocal.eu to uk.legal.moderated on Sun Aug 16 22:04:46 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 2026-08-16, Pancho <Pancho.Jones@protonmail.com> wrote:
    On 8/16/26 14:08, Jon Ribbens wrote:
    On 2026-08-15, Pancho <Pancho.Jones@protonmail.com> wrote:
    On 8/15/26 21:39, Mark Goodge wrote:
    That failure has now not only blown up in their own faces, but has
    led to the tragic death of the pawn in their game. There will be no
    justice for Jason Arday if heads do not roll at Cambridge.

    I agree 100% Cambridge is to blame. Arday appears to have been an
    extreme Walter Mitty type, but Cambridge should have had a duty of
    care towards him. Cambridge thrust him into the limelight.

    Cambridge deserves blame of course, not least in failing to
    protect him, but a great deal of blame lies with the media also.

    Arday was a public figure. I'm not sure what it is the media are
    accused of doing wrong?

    Er, hounding him to death with utterly disproportionate coverage?

    There is also the involvement of Nathan Cofnas, a man apparently
    kicked out of Cambridge for telling the truth, or at least he
    presented a defensible version of it.

    By "telling the truth", you mean "Black people are stupid"?

    No, that is a strawman. The issue is far more nuanced.

    It is not. This is a direct quote from his blog:

    In a meritocracy, Harvard faculty would be recruited from the best
    of the best students, which means the number of black professors
    would approach 0%. Blacks would disappear from almost all
    high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment.

    https://ncofnas.com/p/a-guide-for-the-hereditarian-revolution

    For instance, Cofnas claimed recent African immigrants to the UK had
    above average intelligence. Cofnas stated that there were benefits in positive discrimination, but that an assumption of equality led to it
    being applied inappropriately.

    That is not the truth, nor is it defensible. Nor, for that
    matter, was he "kicked out of Cambridge" for it - he resigned.

    AIUI, He was suspended, until his contract ran out.

    That appears to be untrue. The University decided his blog posting
    was covered by "freedom of speech" and took no action against him. https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/30360

    His position was defensible because empirical evidence shows IQ
    differences correlated with race.

    As far as I am aware that is also untrue.

    The idea of absolute equality would be very surprising, given we know intelligence is genetically heritable. Intelligent people tend to have
    more intelligent kids.

    Scientific ideas should be discussed.

    ... and then dropped, if they turn out to be false.

    (It is true that Emmanuel College terminated their association
    with him as a result of his writings, and in return he sued
    them and comprehensively lost.*)

    Academic freedom should have protected him. The media dog piled
    on him too.

    Hopefully it is just getting started. (Obviously I don't wish him
    dead, but he should be persona non grata in all academic circles.)

    Why, because you don't like his ideas? It would be better to listen to Cofnas himself,

    It would be better to consign him to the dustbin of history.

    because the media do appear to be misrepresenting him.

    If they are misrepresenting him, it is in that they are being overly
    generous to him. He had better hope they don't stop misrepresenting him.

    It is worth listening to Cofnas.

    It absolutely is not worth listening to Cofnas, except perhaps
    to collect evidence to condemn him.

    * https://bfsp.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Cofnas-v-Emmanuel-College-judgment.3.26.pdf

    This was a case about protected beliefs, a very subjective topic, and employment law, why is it relevant? What should we infer from it?

    It was not about employment law. I included the bit about Emmanuel
    College to be fair to you, because you were almost completely wrong
    about almost everything, and that was one of two reasons the word
    "almost" appears in this sentence.

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From The Todal@the_todal@icloud.com to uk.legal.moderated on Mon Aug 17 08:10:50 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 15/08/2026 18:00, Roger Hayter wrote:
    On 15 Aug 2026 at 17:34:17 BST, "The Todal" <the_todal@icloud.com> wrote:

    When our press and broadcast media hound a person to death, doesn't that
    mean we need more press regulation? Or would that be "censorship" and
    does the nation have the "right" to know all the allegations, all the
    details, whether proved or unproved?

    This is an interesting summary of how the Press has reported on the topic. >>
    https://newscord.org/editorials/jason-arday-pile-on

    quote

    249 articles in 22 days, outlet by outlet

    We counted every distinct article substantively about Jason Arday
    published by the national outlets below between 24 July 2026, when the
    Telegraph brought the allegations mainstream, and roughly 10pm on 14
    August 2026, the day he was found dead. News, features, columns, leaders
    and letters pages all count once; a passing mention inside a piece about
    something else does not count at all. Every article is listed, with its
    link, in the table at the bottom of this page. Death-day figures are
    floors: the census was taken hours after his death was announced, while
    the follow-ups were still landing.

    One honest finding up front: this was not a red-top phenomenon. The
    Mirror ran two pieces and the Daily Star one; the BBC and Sky covered it
    as news, at news volume. The pile-on was led from the top of the market:
    The Times, the Telegraph, the Mail, the Spectator and the Express
    account for 158 of the articles counted here.

    It just goes to illustrate the voracious appetite for the appeasement of racism that these publications' readers have.


    I think there has been an element of racism in some of the media reports
    and the commentary from readers. I hardly need to point out how it
    works: the theory that his flaws were overlooked by Cambridge University because he was black and they wanted to look progressive, and that we
    should therefore be sceptical about other black academics.

    However, in the following Times article a student gave a first hand
    account of what it was like to be taught by Jason Arday, and it isn't a flattering portrait of him. I think it was right for the Times to
    publish this piece and not to make it available only in private to the university.

    https://archive.is/Zw9Ib

    quote

    As a student on the education module Arday taught at the University of Roehampton, in autumn 2018 rCo a module replete with music but shockingly light on education rCo I canrCOt help but have thoughts on the story that
    has unfolded over the past couple of weeks.

    I can honestly describe ArdayrCOs teaching as terrible. He rarely used the PowerPoint slides. Instead, he usually sat casually on a desk, giving
    his generalised views on racism without ever referring to any academic theories rCo let alone those relevant to the rCLYouth Participation and IdentitiesrCY module he was supposed to be teaching.
    But even more than his lectures, what really disappointed me was how
    Arday failed his students.
    At first, my classmates were charmed by ArdayrCOs cheerful attitude and inspirational stories. To start with, too, they were interested in his
    claims that white people were guilty of every kind of prejudice. Yet as
    the module progressed, and he failed to turn up for yet another class,
    things began to change. It gradually dawned on us that we were learning nothing of substance and that much of his talk was nonsense.


    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Pancho@Pancho.Jones@protonmail.com to uk.legal.moderated on Mon Aug 17 08:36:10 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 8/16/26 23:04, Jon Ribbens wrote:
    On 2026-08-16, Pancho <Pancho.Jones@protonmail.com> wrote:
    On 8/16/26 14:08, Jon Ribbens wrote:
    On 2026-08-15, Pancho <Pancho.Jones@protonmail.com> wrote:
    On 8/15/26 21:39, Mark Goodge wrote:
    That failure has now not only blown up in their own faces, but has
    led to the tragic death of the pawn in their game. There will be no
    justice for Jason Arday if heads do not roll at Cambridge.

    I agree 100% Cambridge is to blame. Arday appears to have been an
    extreme Walter Mitty type, but Cambridge should have had a duty of
    care towards him. Cambridge thrust him into the limelight.

    Cambridge deserves blame of course, not least in failing to
    protect him, but a great deal of blame lies with the media also.

    Arday was a public figure. I'm not sure what it is the media are
    accused of doing wrong?

    Er, hounding him to death with utterly disproportionate coverage?

    There is also the involvement of Nathan Cofnas, a man apparently
    kicked out of Cambridge for telling the truth, or at least he
    presented a defensible version of it.

    By "telling the truth", you mean "Black people are stupid"?

    No, that is a strawman. The issue is far more nuanced.

    It is not. This is a direct quote from his blog:

    In a meritocracy, Harvard faculty would be recruited from the best
    of the best students, which means the number of black professors
    would approach 0%. Blacks would disappear from almost all
    high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment.

    https://ncofnas.com/p/a-guide-for-the-hereditarian-revolution


    No it is your interpretation. It is your interpretation that empirical
    results from actual tests represent intelligence. AIUI, what Confas has
    done is look at the results of school tests, SAT or similar, and
    described what would happen if college entrance, and promotion to
    professor, was based purely upon the results, without positive
    discrimination.

    This is a similar statement to those derived from looking at the results
    of IQ tests. The tests have shown that people described as African black people perform worse at the tests.

    We know that there are potential problems with inferring intelligence
    from the tests, but the test results are real evidence, not an opinion,
    or a view.

    For instance, Cofnas claimed recent African immigrants to the UK had
    above average intelligence. Cofnas stated that there were benefits in
    positive discrimination, but that an assumption of equality led to it
    being applied inappropriately.

    That is not the truth, nor is it defensible. Nor, for that
    matter, was he "kicked out of Cambridge" for it - he resigned.

    AIUI, He was suspended, until his contract ran out.

    That appears to be untrue. The University decided his blog posting
    was covered by "freedom of speech" and took no action against him. https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/30360


    IIRC, if you had listened to him, you would hear about how he was on a three-year contract. He was suspended soon after allegations were made.
    There was a prolonged investigation. The investigation only concluded
    about the time his contract ended. His contract was not renewed.
    Effectively punishment by process. Similar to the type of stuff Labour
    did against people accused of antisemitism.

    His position was defensible because empirical evidence shows IQ
    differences correlated with race.

    As far as I am aware that is also untrue.


    Look at books like The Bell Curve.

    <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bell_Curve>

    The reason you are unaware is that anyone who cites this evidence is
    called racist, fired and deplatformed. Scientific journals will not
    publish articles related to it. It is a taboo.


    The idea of absolute equality would be very surprising, given we know
    intelligence is genetically heritable. Intelligent people tend to have
    more intelligent kids.

    Scientific ideas should be discussed.

    ... and then dropped, if they turn out to be false.

    (It is true that Emmanuel College terminated their association
    with him as a result of his writings, and in return he sued
    them and comprehensively lost.*)

    Academic freedom should have protected him. The media dog piled
    on him too.

    Hopefully it is just getting started. (Obviously I don't wish him
    dead, but he should be persona non grata in all academic circles.)

    Why, because you don't like his ideas? It would be better to listen to
    Cofnas himself,

    It would be better to consign him to the dustbin of history.


    Well, yes that is the current policy. Deplatform people with
    inconvenient ideas.

    because the media do appear to be misrepresenting him.

    If they are misrepresenting him, it is in that they are being overly
    generous to him. He had better hope they don't stop misrepresenting him.

    It is worth listening to Cofnas.

    It absolutely is not worth listening to Cofnas, except perhaps
    to collect evidence to condemn him.

    * https://bfsp.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Cofnas-v-Emmanuel-College-judgment.3.26.pdf

    This was a case about protected beliefs, a very subjective topic, and
    employment law, why is it relevant? What should we infer from it?

    It was not about employment law.

    Cofnas was claiming damages for termination of his researcher position, because his ides were protected speech. One of the main justifications
    for rejecting the claim was that he was not an employee, and so not
    entitled to normal employee protections.

    I included the bit about Emmanuel
    College to be fair to you, because you were almost completely wrong
    about almost everything, and that was one of two reasons the word
    "almost" appears in this sentence.



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