The former Cambridge University professor who was accused of plagiarism and resigned was found dead.
Jason Arday’s family wrote in a statement that “Jason was subjected to a campaign of sustained abuse” since joining the university’s faculty, adding that “The campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason, who was a gentle man and who always wanted to see the best in everyone,” The New York Times reported.
Metropolitan Police in London said an ambulance was called to a home connected with Arday, 41, for a man who had been found unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene on Aug. 14.
Police said his death is being “treated as unexpected” but not suspicious.
Cambridge’s vice-chancellor Deborah Prentice said in a statement, “We are desperately saddened to hear this tragic news,” adding, “Our heartfelt sympathies go to Jason Arday’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.”
“Today, we pause to remember him, and to mourn his loss, which will be felt across the collegiate University and beyond,” Prentice said according to The Washington Post. “Supporting our community through this tragedy is the single most important priority for me and my leadership team right now.”
Arday was the university’s youngest Black professor when he was hired in 2023, and he came from a working-class area of South London. His parents were immigrants from Ghana. He said in his memoir that he had learning issues, not speaking until the age of 11 and not reading until he was 18.
As the Times noted, he went from being a nonverbal preteen to earning a Ph.D.
He became the chair of education at Cambridge’s Jesus College. But last month a blog post accused him of plagiarism in his dissertation and embellishing his biography.
Before his biography was to be published by Simon & Schuster, journalists found inconsistencies in his story and he resigned from the university last week.
Cambridge pledged to launch an independent investigation of his hiring.
Martyn Hammersley of Open University, who had raised concerns about the alleged plagiarism but stepped back when the controversy grew too big, said, “The whole thing has the character of a Greek tragedy or a slow-motion car crash.”
“Unfortunately, and predictably, the topic was picked up by right-wing commentators and media resulting in a very unpleasant media frenzy,” he told the Post.
Note: If you or someone you know is thinking of harming themselves, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free support via the Lifeline by dialing 988. For more about risk factors and warning signs, visit the organization’s official website.
©2026 Cox Media Group
