Prof. Jason Arday, Aqualectra and Marshe Nobo

Prof. Jason Arday, Aqualectra and Marshe Nobo

20 August 2026

I think the tragic case of Prof. Jason Arday is being followed by only a small group of people in Curaçao. It is a deeply sad affair, one about which the final word has certainly not yet been spoken or written, and which, in my view, could have far-reaching consequences.

Arday was the youngest Black professor at the prestigious University of Cambridge. He was accused of plagiarism by Nathan Cofnas, an academic who had previously lost his position at a Cambridge college following controversial statements about race and meritocracy. Cofnas argued, among other things, that diversity policies enable Black people to attain positions they would not reach in a fully meritocratic system. His accusations against Arday should also be viewed against that background.

What followed was an unprecedented media storm. Reportedly, around 250 articles about the case appeared within just a few days. Arday indicated that his mental health was deteriorating. It did not stop the storm. He took his own life.

This affair has many dimensions. I want to focus on one in particular: what it does to a human being when, in a very short period of time, they are publicly attacked day and night across all kinds of media. From personal experience, I know that no human being can endure this indefinitely. The Arday case demonstrates, in the most tragic way, how heavily sustained public pressure can weigh on a person.

That brings me to Curaçao.

I am concerned about the way the management of Aqualectra and Marshe Nobo are currently being criticized. Of course, they may be criticized. In fact, executives and directors of public organizations must be held accountable for their actions. Criticism can be sharp, and journalists and citizens must be free to expose wrongdoing.

But there is a line between criticizing someone's performance and continuously attacking a person in public. I can assure you: when someone is subjected to criticism on radio, television, and social media for days or even weeks on end, it does something to a human being. It certainly does not benefit their mental health.

That is why I would ask people to stop and think about this before calling into a talk show or posting something on social media. Not to refrain from criticism, but to continue distinguishing between the issue and the individual.

Behind Aqualectra and Marshe Nobo are organizations. Behind their executive positions are human beings.

Perhaps, before we say, write, or share something, we should ask ourselves one simple question:

Am I criticizing someone's actions, or am I tearing down the person?

That distinction matters.

Miguel Goede