Jason Arday, a former University of Cambridge professor, was found dead on Friday, a week after he resigned amid allegations of plagiarism. Arday was the youngest black professor at the University of Cambridge after being appointed as a professor of sociology in 2023.
Arday was found unresponsive at a residence in Battersea in South London on Friday afternoon.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said “Sadly, a 41-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. His next-of-kin have been informed and are being supported by officers.”
They also said that his death was being treated as unexpected but not believed to be suspicious.
The case is being investigated by officers from the Met Central South Command Unit.
Arday came under intense media scrutiny after allegations of plagiarism in his academic work and questions surrounding claims about his athletic and fundraising accomplishments.
In a statement, Arday's family said that he was subjected to a campaign of sustained abuse since he accepted the role of professor at Cambridge University by “who would leave no stone unturned in their quest to undermine him’
“The campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason, who was a gentle man and who always wanted to see the best in everyone.
“We are in shock to have lost this amazing father, partner, brother, uncle and son,” they said.
Police said that they believed no one else was involved in the death.
His death comes the same week as the release of his memoir 'Great and Unfortunate Things.'
While resigning, Arday had said that “the relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love.” He had also denied the plagiarism allegations but admitted to some mistakes when working on his doctorate.
In the weeks leading upto his death, the media had claimed that he plagiarised his PhD thesis, which he completed at Liverpool John Moores University along with his additional research. The scrutiny began after a right-wing academic, Nathan Cofnus, claimed that he used a plagiarism software to show that multiple passages in Arday's work were 'lifted' from elsewhere.
Questions were also raised about the academic's other achievements, including running 600 miles in six days and raising £5.5 million for charity.
Arday was born to Ghanaian immigrant parents and was born in South London. He was reportedly diagnosed with autism at age 3 and was non-verbal until age 12. He was also diagnosed with deafness, dyslexia and dyscalculia.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said that Arday faced unacceptable public hounding and a campaign of abuse,
“Jason Arday was the victim of a pernicious public shaming that other people in his position simply wouldn’t have faced. His death was a tragedy, but once again it should be a wake-up call for all of us,” he said.
Cambridge Vice-Chancellor Deborah Prentice, who earlier announced that the university will investigate the circumstances around Arday’s employment, said she was “desperately saddened” by the news.
