Cambridge University Professor Jason Arday Found Dead Amid Plagiarism Scandal

Jason Arday, the Cambridge professor who resigned after being accused of plagiarism, has died, according to the university.

In a statement Friday, Deborah Prentice, the Vice-Chancellor Professor at the University of Cambridge, confirmed Arday’s death, saying “we are desperately saddened to hear this tragic news” and “our heartfelt sympathies go to Jason Arday’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.”

The Metropolitan Police in London said officers responded to a man’s home Friday afternoon after receiving a report that he was found unresponsive. Police declared the man dead at the scene and notified his next of kin without releasing Arday’s name publicly.

Investigators are calling the death “unexpected” but not suspicious, and are trying to determine how he died.

In 2023, Arday was hired at Cambridge as the youngest Black professor teaching sociology of education. He was considered an academic scholar who focused on race and inequality. But more recently, Arday was hit with allegations of plagiarism in his work at the university and other projects. 

At first, Cambridge pledged its support to Arday, but then the Times of London published a story examining Arday’s 2015 Ph.D. thesis, which contained  “identical or near-identical” passages found in a paper penned by a different researcher at an earlier date.

The British press also raised doubts about Arday’s assertions that he collected $7.4 million in charity money by winning athletic competitions, claiming at one point he ran 30 marathons in 35 days.

On August 5, Cambridge launched an investigation into Arday’s “qualifications and honorary appointments,” leading to his resignation.

Arday was 41.