Oriel College at the University of Oxford has become the subject of an open letter campaign urging it to prevent a scheduled speaking event from taking place. The event, titled “An evening with Nathan Cofnas: Is DEI undermining higher education?,” is organized by Oxon Universities’ Reform Society (OURS), a student group established this year to support Reform UK.
Nathan Cofnas, a blogger and academic, is set to speak at the college’s Harris lecture theatre on 17 November. Cofnas had previously made unproven accusations of plagiarism against Jason Arday, a Cambridge professor, and questioned the accuracy of Arday’s biographical claims. Arday, 41, died in August following his resignation from his position, which came after he faced significant media attention stemming from Cofnas’s allegations and commentary.
The open letter, signed by campaign groups, academics, members of the public, and Oxford alumni, calls on Oriel to withdraw its facilities from hosting the event. Signatories contend that the event could foster a hostile atmosphere for students from ethnic minority backgrounds and potentially damage Oriel’s reputation during 2026, marking the 700th anniversary of its royal charter. The letter also characterizes Cofnas’s online writings as promoting discriminatory ideas related to race and asserts that his blogging contributed significantly to the coverage Arday experienced.
Oriel College responded by emphasizing its commitment to upholding freedom of speech while also maintaining an environment free from discrimination. The college stated that it considers events according to its code of practice on freedom of speech and that permitting an event does not constitute endorsement of the speaker’s views. OURS countered that registered student societies at Oxford have a legal right to host events at constituent colleges and rejected claims that the college should face reputational consequences for the event, stating that responsibility rests solely with the society’s committee.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI