Black professor who became the face of DEI resigns from Cambridge: 'Copied in doctorate and faked research'

British sociologist Jason Arday, who became famous as the youngest Black professor in Cambridge's history, resigned after the university launched an investigation following reports of plagiarism in his doctorate and fabrications in his CV. Among other things, four universities denied employing him, degrees he presented were not held, and claims of running 30 marathons in 35 days raised doubts.

British sociologist Jason Arday, who became famous as the youngest Black professor ever appointed at the University of Cambridge, was forced to resign last night (Wednesday) after the university announced it had opened an investigation following "new information" regarding his academic past and the qualifications and degrees he boasted of. The investigation and resignation come after weeks of reports that extensive portions of Arday's 2015 doctoral thesis were copied from another researcher's work, and that various achievements he described in his CV were inflated. Arday, 41, was 37 when appointed professor in 2023, and his story was presented as inspirational due to his overcoming dyslexia, autism, and developmental delays. However, checks revealed that four universities in the UK, the US, and South Africa rejected his claim that he held academic positions there, and his claims of degrees were not verified. Also, his claim of raising £5.5 million for charity was corrected, and claims of running 30 marathons in 35 days and 965 kilometers in six days raised doubts. Cambridge initially backed Arday but changed its stance after the Times newspaper presented new evidence that some of his research was "fabricated." Arday announced his resignation in a statement saying he had "reached the end of his tether." Publisher Simon & Schuster is set to release his memoir this month, but the resignation may delay its publication.