Jason Arday, the youngest black professor in the University of Cambridge’s 817-year history, has died at the age of 41. His death has sparked a debate over his life and work, with some blaming a “campaign of sustained abuse” for his passing.

Background

Arday was appointed professor of sociology of education at Cambridge in February 2023, at the age of 37. His appointment was met with controversy, with some questioning his academic record and claims that he was mute until he was 11.

Arday’s family has blamed a “campaign of sustained abuse” for his death, which they say began the day he was appointed as a professor at Cambridge. They suggested that those angered by suggestions that his appointment was a case of over-promotion “would leave no stone unturned in their quest to undermine him.”

Reaction

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has described the unrelenting interest in Arday as “a pernicious public shaming,” while Weyman Bennett, of Stand Up to Racism, has called it “a racist witch hunt.”

Julia Hartley-Brewer, a presenter on TalkTV, has said that Arday was “a liar and a fraud who was rightly exposed for what he really was by academics and journalists who were simply doing their job.”

Arday’s supporters are calling on UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham to commission a public inquiry into the role of the press in Arday’s death. They say that the press campaign against Arday was blown out of proportion and had tragic consequences.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.