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Jason Arday found dead after resigning from Cambridge over plagiarism claims
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Jason
Arday found dead after resigning from Cambridge over plagiarism claims
Academic
was pronounced dead at his home in south London after police called to address
after 3pm on Friday
Richard
Adams
Fri 14
Aug 2026 20.56 BST
Jason
Arday, the black academic who resigned last week as a professor at the
University of Cambridge, has been found dead at his home in south London.
The
Metropolitan police said officers were called to Arday’s address by the London
ambulance service after 3pm on Friday.
A
spokesperson for the Met said: “A 41-year-old man was pronounced dead at the
scene. His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by officers.
“At this
time his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be
suspicious. The case is being investigated by officers from the Met’s central
south command unit. A file will be prepared for the coroner.”
The body
was believed to be that of Arday. At this stage, police are understood not to
believe anyone else was involved in the death.
London
ambulance service was the first emergency service at the scene. The person
discovered inside the home was found unresponsive.
Arday’s
family said in a statement: “Jason was subjected to a campaign of sustained
abuse for more than three years since he accepted the role of professor at
Cambridge University by those 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.
“We won’t
comment further at this point beyond asking the press to leave us alone now,
and to stop the campaign of harassment which has been waged against Jason and
his family for too long.”
Arday was
appointed professor of sociology of education at Cambridge in 2023, and was the
university’s youngest-ever black professor. But he resigned last week after
accusations of plagiarism and inconsistencies in statements about his career
and achievements.
In a
statement announcing his resignation, Arday said: “It is with profound sadness
that I write to resign, with immediate effect, from my position at the
University of Cambridge and Jesus College.
“When I
accepted the extraordinary honour of becoming professor of sociology at
Cambridge, it was, without question, the greatest professional privilege of my
life.”
Arday
said he had been driven to resign because the “relentless accusations,
speculation and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those
I love”.
Prof
Deborah Prentice, Cambridge’s vice-chancellor, said in a statement: “We are
desperately saddened to hear this tragic news. Our heartfelt sympathies go to
Jason Arday’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.”
Arday’s
rise to a prestigious professorial chair was remarkable. Arday said he had been
nonverbal until the age of 11, requiring extensive speech and language therapy,
as well as being illiterate until 18.
That life
story contributed to him being made a torchbearer for the 2012 London Olympics
flame.
After
leaving school, Arday went on to study and then teach at a further education
college before taking a doctorate at Liverpool John Moores University in 2015.
That was followed by a string of academic posts culminating in a professorship
at the University of Glasgow and a professorial chair at Cambridge.
Arday was
initially accused of plagiarising another academic’s work for his PhD thesis.
But he denied the accusations, and an investigation by Liverpool John Moores
University earlier this year upheld its decision to award him a PhD.
But other
elements of his life story were increasingly questioned, including claims of
prodigious money-raising for charity and feats of long-distance running.
He was
also challenged about whether he was nonverbal as a child.
However
those claims meant little in the world of academia. After initially defending
Arday as the victim of a smear campaign, as further questions arose about his
academic career, the university began to temper its support as the university’s
leaders felt Cambridge’s reputation was in danger.
On 5
August Cambridge announced it would hold an internal inquiry after it said it
received “new information” about his academic qualifications and honorary
appointments, as well as what it described as “a number of ongoing complaints
regarding academic misconduct”. Jesus College, of which he was a member, said
it would also hold an inquiry.
But while
Cambridge said Arday would remain in post and continue to receive support,
Arday immediately announced his resignation.
At the
end of last week Glasgow University said it would also investigate Arday’s
academic credentials.
The
controversy has stirred considerable anger within Cambridge’s academic
community, both between Arday’s supporters and those who said the university
had erred in appointing him to such a prestigious position.
After
resisting calls from senior staff for an independent inquiry, earlier this week
Prentice backed down, saying she recognised the “anger and anxiety around this
damaging and difficult case”. She described it as an aberration that should not
be used to cast aspersions on the abilities of its staff of colour.
Arday’s
autobiography was published this week in the US by an imprint of Simon &
Schuster. The company had said it planned to go ahead with UK publication later
this month.
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