Ghent University acted responsibly by launching a disciplinary investigation and suspending a researcher whose public statements crossed the line from academic freedom into conduct warranting serious review. The death of Jason Arday's death should force a reckoning with how online pile-ons — often gleeful, and racially targeted — weaponize misconduct allegations beyond any legitimate academic purpose. The disproportionate media frenzy surrounding Arday, compared to whiteWhite academics facing similar accusations, exposes a pattern that institutions can no longer ignore.