Days after resigning from Cambridge: Professor Jason Arday found dead at home

British professor Jason Arday, who became known as the youngest Black professor in Cambridge's history, was found dead at his home in Battersea, south London. He was 41. Police described his death as unexpected but not suspicious. His death comes days after he resigned amid allegations of plagiarism and doubts about biographical details. His family said he had been subjected to a sustained campaign of abuse.

British professor Jason Arday, who became known as the youngest Black professor in the history of the University of Cambridge, was found dead on Friday at his home in Battersea, south London. He was 41. Police said his death is being treated as unexpected but not suspicious at this stage. Metropolitan Police officers were called to the scene after a report of an unresponsive man, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. His family has been informed, and an investigation is ongoing. His death comes just days after he resigned from his post as Professor of Sociology of Education at the University of Cambridge and his fellowship at Jesus College. The resignation followed weeks of public criticism and allegations of plagiarism in his academic works, along with questions about some of the details he presented about his life and achievements. Cambridge opened a review into his academic credentials and the appointments and titles he held. Arday denied deliberate plagiarism. Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded him a doctorate in 2015, examined claims regarding his doctoral thesis and did not determine that he committed plagiarism, though it noted that errors were found that were attributed to honest mistake. Additional publications raised questions about other works and biographical claims. In his resignation statement, he wrote that months of accusations, speculation, and public discourse had taken a heavy toll on him. His family said that for about three years he had been subjected to a "sustained campaign of abuse" and a campaign of misinformation. Arday became a well-known figure in 2023 when he became the youngest Black person to receive a professorship in Cambridge's history. He spoke about autism, developmental delay, and that he learned to read and write only in his late teens. Days before his death, his memoir was released in the US.