Britain’s prime minister called for reflection after a Black professor who faced plagiarism accusations died suddenly. Jason Arday, who became Cambridge’s youngest Black professor in 2023, was found dead in south London. He resigned last week as professor of sociology of education after intense media scrutiny.
Accusations and Resignation
Arday faced allegations of plagiarism in his academic work and questions surrounding his athletic and fundraising accomplishments. He denied plagiarism but admitted to some mistakes when working on his doctorate. Dozens of Cambridge academics signed a letter calling for an independent inquiry into how Arday was appointed.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Arday’s death was ‘a tragedy on so many levels.’ He called for reflection on how things came to this. Police are treating the death as ‘unexpected’ but not suspicious. Arday’s family said he was subjected to a ‘campaign of harassment’ and ‘sustained abuse’ since he took up his post at Cambridge.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
