Tributes pour in for Jason Arday after his sudden death

Friends have paid tribute to British sociologist and professor Jason Arday following his death, days after he stepped down from Cambridge amid intense scrutiny over plagiarism allegations.

UK media reported the 41-year-old was found “unresponsive” inside a home in south London on Friday.

In a statement issued through his publisher, Arday's family said that a "campaign of misinformation" had been "too much for Jason... who always wanted to see the best in everyone.”

They added that for three years, Arday had been “subjected to a campaign of sustained abuse... by those who would leave no stone unturned in their quest to undermine him."

Cambridge's vice-chancellor Deborah Prentice, who earlier this week announced the university would investigate the circumstances around Arday's employment, said she was “desperately saddened”.

Arday was 37 when he became Cambridge's youngest Black professor in 2023.

His appointment highlighted his personal story of overcoming dyslexia, developmental delays and autism that he said left him non-verbal until the age of 11 and illiterate until his late teens.

But he resigned after he came under intense media pressure, with weeks of allegations about plagiarism in his academic work and questions surrounding claims about his athletic and fundraising accomplishments.

He denied plagiarism, but admitted to some mistakes when working on his doctorate.

Supporters had described the plagiarism allegations as a “smear campaign” designed to undermine Arday and other Black people who hold “positions of influence.”

Arday announced his resignation in a statement released via the website of the Good Law Project, which was founded by activist lawyer Jolyon Maugham, who was left devastated by his death.

Talking to Sky shortly after Arday's death was announced, he accused the media of persecuting the professor, adding that if they had been "a little bit more compassionate" he might still be alive.

Professor of Black studies Kehinde Andrews told Sky he had met up with Arday on Monday to offer him support and suggested he had been targeted because of the colour of his skin.

London's mayor Sadiq Khan also called out the media, saying in a post on X that the professor had been "the victim of a pernicious public shaming that other people in his position simply wouldn't have faced".

Questions about Arday's qualifications were raised publicly last month by Nathan Cofnas.

The one-time Cambridge philosophy researcher left the university after his critique of diversity, equity and inclusion programs sparked widespread protests.

In July, the Times of London published an analysis of Arday’s 2015 Ph.D. thesis, highlighting what it said were examples of passages that were “identical or near-identical” to a paper written by another researcher.

British media also raised questions about Arday’s claims that he had raised 5.5 million pounds ($7.4 million) for charity through feats such as running 30 marathons in 35 days and 600 miles in six days.

Dozens of Cambridge academics had signed a letter calling for an independent inquiry into how Arday was appointed.

Cambridge initially stood by Arday, saying that the plagiarism allegations had been investigated by Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded Arday’s doctorate.

The university then changed its stance and said it opened an investigation “following new information about Professor Arday’s qualifications and honorary appointments”.