Jason Arday, the former Cambridge professor who resigned this month amid allegations of plagiarism and questions over claims about his achievements, has reportedly been found dead aged 41.
Jason Arday, the former Cambridge professor who resigned this month amid allegations of plagiarism and questions over claims about his achievements, has reportedly been found dead aged 41
The academic was found unresponsive at a property in Battersea, south London, on Friday afternoon, according to the Daily Telegraph.
The report comes nine days after Jason stepped down as professor of sociology of education at the University of Cambridge.
Metropolitan Police said officers were called by the London Ambulance Service at 3.12pm and a male was pronounced dead at the scene.
His reported death is being treated as unexpected but is not believed to be suspicious.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “Sadly, a 41-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene.
“His next-of-kin have been informed and are being supported by officers.
“At this time his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious.
“The case is being investigated by officers from the Met’s Central South Command Unit.
“A file will be prepared for the coroner.”
Jason had become one of Cambridge’s most prominent academics when he was appointed professor of sociology of education in 2023, becoming the youngest Black professor in the university’s history.
His academic work focused on areas including race, education and social inequality.
Jason’s career had come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks following allegations concerning his PhD thesis, other academic work and accounts of his personal achievements.
He denied deliberate plagiarism and wrongdoing while acknowledging he had made mistakes.
Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded his doctorate, had previously investigated allegations concerning his thesis and cleared him of misconduct.
Cambridge announced this month it was reviewing matters surrounding Jason’s appointment and tenure.
Jason resigned on August 5, saying the “unrelenting level of public scrutiny and personal attack” had affected him and that stepping away was the “only way to bring this chapter to an end”.
The controversy had expanded beyond his academic work to include scrutiny of claims about his life and fundraising.
Jason had previously said he completed a 600-mile endurance challenge in six days, but later said it had taken 12 days.
He also clarified a widely reported claim he had raised £5.5 million for charity referred to fundraising carried out collectively as part of a group rather than by him alone.
Questions were also raised over a claim he had appeared in the documentary television series Seven Up!, which began broadcasting decades before he could have participated in its original instalment.
In an interview with The Times before his resignation, Jason accepted responsibility for errors but rejected descriptions of him as dishonest.
He said: “I am accountable for the mistakes I’ve made. I hold myself accountable and other people should hold me accountable.
“We’re talking about academia here. I didn’t murder somebody.
“I think the cruelty that I’ve experienced and the positioning of me as this kind of liar and fantasist is totally unacceptable.”
Jason had attributed some citation problems in his earlier academic work to the way he processed information, saying he used mimicry as part of learning while autistic.
The controversy included reported similarities between passages in his doctoral thesis and earlier academic work, although Jason disputed accusations that he had deliberately plagiarised material.
The dispute also prompted wider questions about Cambridge’s appointment procedures.
Cambridge has been examining its processes for senior academic appointments, while Jesus College had also announced a process relating to the allegations.
Jason’s resignation did not end that scrutiny.
Cambridge has faced continuing questions over how his appointment was handled and how concerns about his academic record were assessed, with the affair becoming the subject of a wider debate within British higher education.
