To think 'academic freedom' and whistleblower punishment are misused in those protesting the suspension of Nathan Cofnas

I think not adhering to his contract couldn't have been known beforehand, and it's fair enough to be suspended from any job if you're not doing what you're hired for. But the attention he drew to himself via the Arday case probably led to a level of scrutiny that would not have existed otherwise.

My intimation is that he was more or less hired directly by Prof. Bouke de Vries to work on a specific project but if Cofnas had gone for an academic post that included substantial teaching and engagement with students (as lecturer/Professor) in such a reputable University as Ghent maybe he wouldn't have been appointed.

I wouldn't see Arday's views as being as extremist as Cofnay's - I ended up reading some of both their work today including Arday's PhD. It's not super strong but I can see why it might have passed - I understand the plagiarism is mainly to do with the literature review.

In terms of Cofnas being blamed - he seems to be delighted to be the public face of the Arday case - eg his triumphal hour long interview on how he 'brought down DEI' in Cambridge. I don't see the same hounding (unless the protests about and since his appointment can be seen as hounding).

Cofnas is very very well supported by American networks and think tanks (as well as the President) and I'm sure he'll be fine and platformed.

I saw the interview with Starkey and thought Cofnas seemed a bit socially awkward, and the resentment and gleefulness about the 'vengeance' on Arday was deeply unpleasant.
Full version:

(All quotes are from letter of suspension)

Maybe Ghent are arguing that the change has been:

Cofnas was hired to work on a particular topic but has publicly said he's working on something else
'fundamentally inconsistent with the contractual scope of your employment and constitute a manifest violation of your professional obligations'

Cofnas has violated their ethics code through the nature and framing of his remarks about Arday - that he described him as 'mentally disabled' and a 'worthless scholar' as part of a crusade 'aimed at the systematic personal and professional
destruction of colleagues' and that suggests a disturbance of the peace and may violate the Belgian Criminal Code concerning offences against someone's honour or reputation

Cofnas has advocated a purge of academics who are not ideologically aligned to his racial science in the name of a 'hereditarian revolution' -
Ghent say that may be a threat to colleagues 'professional standing and personal dignity' and impacts the functioning of the University

Ghent should have known he'd be problematic but Arday dying and Cofnas's public statements in the wake of that caused such a furore that they've clearly set their legal team on looking at their options to get rid of him.

Cofnas was hired to work on a project by a Professor whose views on race have been subject to complaints and protests in the past. Some people describe the Rector of Ghent as a eugenicist, others a trans-humanist - eg in relation to this TED talk - so it's all a bit messy https://www.ted.com/talks/petra_desutter_tele_babies

Ok, I haven’t read any of his work, just some tedious non-academic piece that put a sciencey gloss on old fashioned racism. I was pretty surprised at comments elsewhere and on Mumsnet about him being unfairly suspended.
There’s a letter of petition about it, mainly male academics but a few hundred names.