Unexpected death
Former University of Cambridge professor Jason Arday was found dead on Friday in Battersea, south London, after reportedly raising £5.5 million for charity. The Metropolitan Police said he was unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene, treating the death as unexpected but not suspicious. His next-of-kin have been informed and are being supported by officers.
Plagiarism allegations
Arday, a professor of sociology of education at Cambridge, resigned just over a week ago amid mounting allegations that he plagiarised parts of his 2015 PhD thesis and overstated his achievements. He had denied wrongdoing, saying in a resignation letter that he did not accept “the narratives that have surrounded me.” Cambridge initially stood by him after an investigation by Liverpool John Moores University cleared the plagiarism claims, but last week the university launched a new inquiry following “new information about Professor Arday’s qualifications and honorary appointments.”
Family and supporters’ reaction
Supporters, including more than two dozen academics and politicians, described the allegations as a “smear campaign” aimed at discrediting Arday and other Black people in influential positions. In his resignation letter, Arday said the relentless accusations had taken a profound toll on him and his loved ones. His family issued a statement condemning the “campaign of sustained abuse” and asked the press to stop harassing them. Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice expressed deep sadness and offered heartfelt sympathies to Arday’s family and friends.
