Highlights
- Jason Arday, 41, was found dead nine days after resigning from Cambridge.
- His family alleged he faced years of ‘sustained abuse’ and harassment.
- Burnham urged people not to ‘rush to judgement’ over his death.
- Arday had denied claims he was a liar and fantasist.
PRIME MINISTER Andy Burnham called for "reflection" on Saturday (15) after the death of Jason Arday, as the former Cambridge academic's family denounced what they called years of harassment amid plagiarism accusations.
Arday, 41, was found dead on Friday (14), nine days after he quit as a Cambridge University professor and Jesus College fellow after both institutions announced probes into various allegations, amid a storm that has sparked racism claims.
In an overnight statement, his family said he had been "subjected to a campaign of sustained abuse" ever since he became Cambridge's youngest black professor in 2023.
They alleged it "was too much for Jason, who was a gentle man and who always wanted to see the best in everyone". Others highlighted the vulnerability of a man who had been diagnosed with autism.
Arday had himself claimed to be the target of a "racially motivated" campaign.
Speaking to reporters in southwest England, Burnham urged against "rushing to judgement".
"It's a tragedy on so many levels," he said. "It's a moment for reflection... reflecting on how things came to this."
The scandal hit the headlines last month after some academics and media reports accused Arday of plagiarising parts of his doctoral thesis and embellishing life achievements.
The allegations have been seized on by right-wing newspapers and commentators, who claimed he unfairly benefited from diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) policies.
But Weyman Bennett, co-convenor of the Stand Up to Racism campaign group, said his death "was the result of a racist witch hunt" by right-wing media, politicians and the far right.
'Desperately saddened by the tragic news'
In a letter published when he resigned on August 5, Arday said the move was "the only way" to end a "difficult period", but should not be "mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me".
A married father-of-two, Arday was discovered unresponsive on Friday (14) afternoon at an address in south London, according to the capital's Metropolitan Police.
Although the force did not confirm the identity of the deceased person, within hours Cambridge's top administrator, vice chancellor Deborah Prentice, confirmed his death.
Jason Arday, a former University of Cambridge professor appears in this picture obtained from social media, released on October 9, 2020. Courtesy of Royal Borough of Greenwich via YouTube/via REUTERS
She said the prestigious British institution was "desperately saddened" by the "tragic news".
Police said it was being treated as "unexpected" but not suspicious. While it is unclear how he died, the force is preparing a file for a coroner, who will formally determine the cause of death at an inquest.
In Cambridge on Saturday, several people left flowers and a card bearing Arday's name on university gates in the city centre.
"It was a way for me to to apologise to Jason, his family, his friends, for what has been done to him," one man who laid flowers told AFP, declining to give his name.
"I hope that we can all learn lessons, fight against prejudice and hatred, and stand up for truth."
Remembrance vigils were also planned in London on Sunday and Monday evenings.
A crowdfunding page -- created by racial equality campaigner Patrick Vernon -- had raised more than £11,000 ($15,000) by late Saturday to support Arday's family.
Relentless scrutiny
Simon Baron-Cohen, a Cambridge professor and director of the Autism Research Centre, told BBC radio he had spoken to Arday early on Friday.
"He was being subjected to relentless scrutiny, including ridicule, discrediting absolutely every detail of his life," Baron-Cohen said.
"He wasn't coping with the loss of his career, the loss of his reputation, and he felt he couldn't go on. He used those words in voice notes."
The furore grew after Nathan Cofnas, a US academic and self-defined "race realist" -- whose Cambridge research affiliation ended in 2024 amid racism accusations -- published claims in July.
They included that sections of his doctoral dissertation had been copied from other works.
The Times, Guardian and Telegraph newspapers had all published investigative articles into Arday's academic work and personal life in recent weeks.
Some of his claimed achievements, including once running 30 marathons in 35 days and raising millions for charities, were disputed.
Diagnosed with autism, Arday had said he was non-verbal until age 11 and only learnt to read and write at 18, before becoming a Cambridge professor at 37.
In an interview with the Times earlier this month, Arday admitted making academic "mistakes" but said he was being wrongly "portrayed to be a liar and a fantasist".
He added that some errors in his early academic work were because of his autism, as he relied on using mimicry to understand information.
Noting Arday had been diagnosed in childhood with disabilities including language delay and learning differences, Baron-Cohen stressed he was "vulnerable" and deserved "safeguarding and support".
(AFP)
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