Jason Arday, Former Cambridge Professor at Centre of Plagiarism Row, Found Dead

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Professor Jason Arday, who quit Cambridge University amid a plagiarism row, has been found dead at a London address shortly after 3pm on Friday. The Mail has the story:

It comes after a tumultuous few weeks in which fellow dons had questioned if the 41 year-old academic’s work was original.

It had also prompted an examination of his previous academic posts.

As questions mounted from academics, journalists and broadcasters, Arday resigned his prestigious role.

He had been Cambridge University’s youngest ever black professor, having been appointed a professor of sociology of education in March 2023.

But after a succession of questions about his past achievements, he quit on August 5th. …

When Arday resigned from his professorship and his fellowship, he said that this should not be “mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me”. He cited the “personal cost” of the furore which he said had been “too great”. He also cancelled a series of events to promote his new memoir, Great And Unfortunate Things, which was released in the US this week.

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “Police were called by the London Ambulance Service at 3.12pm on Friday, August 14th, following a report that a man had been found unresponsive inside a property.

“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.” …

Prof Arday, a married father-of-two, seemingly had the world at his feet in 2023 when he was appointed Cambridge University’s youngest ever black professor, with the appointment celebrated by the world’s media in which he was the subject of glowing profiles.

His rise was meteoric, given the childhood he has described.

Diagnosed with autism and global developmental delay, Prof Arday said he could not speak until he was 11 and could not read or write until he was 18.

In recent weeks, doubts were cast on his claims but the then-professor denied the accusations against him and disputed claims made about his past.

Many of the claims were connected to Arday’s work for good causes during which said he had raised £5 million for charity through long distance running, including running 30 marathons in 35 days.

Worth reading in full.

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70 Comments
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nickrave
nickrave
1 month ago

As with ‘trans’, enabling people’s fantasies does not help them. It pushes them further and further into the abyss. The Good Law Project has a lot to answer for, it should be shut down.

Martin Sewell
Martin Sewell
1 month ago
Free Lemming
Free Lemming
1 month ago

Some comments show a complete lack of basic humanity. Yes, he appears to have been a fantasist that took advantage of a bent system, but he was also a father of two children who was clearly unable to cope with the incessant spotlight and humiliation he faced. As far as I’m concerned this whole sorry saga is a depressing indictment of society – from the ideological capture of the left, to the ideological cruelty of the right. If God exists what would he bother saving?

JXB
JXB
1 month ago

And now he is a victim: victim of those who elevated him, and a victim of those who brought him down by pointing out the fraud.

He had agency and free will. He was not a victim and right to the end refused to accept he had done anything wrong, and only resigned because of the terrible effect to his life his accusers had caused.

Pass the humbugs mother.

Ben Bellak
Ben Bellak
1 month ago

There are a lot of establishment figures who have gained personally by promoting and then dropping this man; shame on them. A very sad story all round

wryobserver2
wryobserver2
1 month ago

Arday’s death is a tragedy, and perhaps a Greek one, as he appears to have suffered from Icarus syndrome. Lessons. Hubris is often followed by nemesis. Lies and deceptions are usually found out, but as with any discovery of something doubtful it is now likely that dirt seekers will keep digging. Those who puffed Arday up could be accused of setting him up to fail, and bear a heavy responsibility for the outcome.

Do not lie. Do not plagiarise. You will be found out.

coviture2020
coviture2020
1 month ago

Very sad but a predictable outcome. Those who appointed him, for their own vanity,should be thoroughly ashamed.

shred
shred
1 month ago

The psychiatrist? Prof Baron Cohen said that Arday was very upset and losing weight since his fantasies and fraud had been exposed and ridiculed. The professor was one of his supporters who signed the Good Law letter and thought that the criticism was unfair. It’s a pity that this psychiatrist didn’t arrange for someone to keep an eye on him.

Arday could have made a good living from performances before Guardian reading lefties who thought the whole thing was amusing.

Heretic
Heretic
1 month ago
Reply to  shred

“Losing weight” in such a short time? Is Prof. Cohen in on some Globalist trick to help Arday pull an “Epstein”, faking his own death to be smuggled away for a new identity elsewhere, later joined by his family? Just wondering…

Hester
Hester
1 month ago

The Man was clearly a Walter Mitty character, and unsound mentally, Cambridge must take responsibility for its failure to protect its reputation by putting wokeism and DEI ahead of competence. They did not properly go into the man’s background before recruiting and if they did, they chose to ignore it in persuit of the opportunity to virtue signal. As such they ignored the facts that a person who could make up such stories about their implausible achievements was fragile mentally, instead of refusing him a place as any other establishment would have, they played along with his fantasies for their own self agrandisment.
Each and everyone of them who played along with these fantasies in order to burnish their own halo’s must take responsibility for the death of this man. They are to blame, not the media as they no doubt will try to offload their guilt onto. We must remember that, this man was a fantasist, yes , but Cambridge encouraged the fantasy for their own ends exploiting what was clearly a fragile man.
I hope they feel shame, but I expect not

Jon Mors
Jon Mors
1 month ago

There are parallels to the trans situation. A bunch of lefty virtue signalling people – mostly women – encourage delusional behaviour. Then when the delusion cannot be kept up any longer its going to be traumatic. So yes, the Cambridge faculty carry some responsibility for his death.

I have wondered to what extent Arday was even aware of this behaviour. I suspect at least partly he thought he was just playing the game. Many blacks believe they are being held back by racism, so a bit of plagiarism here and there could be considered levelling the playing field.

The more outlandish claims of being an elite marathan runner etc., suggests that he was a fantasist – these are not claims you should make if you wish to avoid scrutiny.

marebobowl
marebobowl
1 month ago

MSM has a lot to answer for. They bully, insult people, literally to death. But god forbid, they are cowards when it comes to reporting real crime, real criminals, real world issues. How anyone can continue reading, listening to or watching MSM after the this incident and the last six yrs of covid lies, is beyond me.

Arum
Arum
1 month ago
Reply to  marebobowl

I don’t know – the media find that a top professor has stolen academic work from someone else (for that is what plagiarism is, surely?), are they supposed to keep silent?

thechap
thechap
1 month ago
Reply to  marebobowl

I generally do agree with what you’re saying about distrusting MSM, but I cannot agree with your asserton that the media bears responsibility for Arday’s death. He bears that responsibility himself for creating the fantasy, and more so do those who championed him and deliberately tried to silence enquiry.

Hound of Heaven
Hound of Heaven
1 month ago
Reply to  marebobowl

You do know that this imposter destroyed the education of white students whom he did not like, do you not? What goes around…..

Epi
Epi
1 month ago

Very sad poor guy used and abused by the system. The elite have blood on their hands. R.I.P. Jason Arday.

RTSC
RTSC
1 month ago

RIP. A sad end to a tragic tale.

The people who questioned his story will be blamed. I can already hear o’Brien’s sanctimonious accusations ….

But the ones who should be blamed are those in Cambridge University, who failed to investigate his ludicrous claims because they were so invested in the DEI objective, desperately wanted a black professor and appointed him to a position he should never have had in the first place.

LizT
LizT
1 month ago
Reply to  RTSC

Yes, like encouraging Icarus to fly closer to the sun before his inevitable crash to earth

For a fist full of roubles
For a fist full of roubles
1 month ago

The sad result of feeding a fantasist’s fantasies rather than correcting them..

Covid-1984
Covid-1984
1 month ago

He was accused of plagiarism. Their words not his. Hopefully; however tragic, the end of DEI forever.

happycake78
happycake78
1 month ago
Reply to  Covid-1984

It wont be.

Corky Ringspot
Corky Ringspot
1 month ago

Very sad. The Left will say the Right hounded a proud representative of Diversity to death, the Right will say the Left allowed him, through the perversion that is DEI, to extreme heights of self-delusion from which a fall was inevitable once he glimpsed reality. I’m reasonably confident about who’s correct. The Cambridge authorities must hang their heads in deep shame, and accept that they could have helped him, by not rewarding his mental illness. A deeply disgusting episode, but hopefully a turning point. I doubt it, but you never know.

@yorkshirekate
@yorkshirekate
1 month ago

Arday was the victim of his own lies. He was ready to throw those who questioned him under the bus and demonstrated no concerns for anyone else, particularly Jack Grove, and the students he failed and accused of white privilege for daring to question him. Cambridge uni facilitated his dishonesty with its destructive dumb ideology and absolutely deserves the opprobrium. Whilst one can feel sympathy for his family they are also his victims.

john1T
john1T
1 month ago
Reply to  @yorkshirekate

I think that the focus should move away from Jason and his family now and let them grieve in private. The focus should be on Cambridge and how they got themselves into this mess in the first place.

thechap
thechap
1 month ago
Reply to  john1T

That’s asking the impossible. No inquiry could be conducted without thoroughly examining his claims and his behaviour. I believe the idiots running Cambridge are most to blame, but he bears a lot of the blame himself. After all, he made up the character.

Mrs GHC
Mrs GHC
1 month ago
Reply to  @yorkshirekate

I agree.

PeterM
PeterM
1 month ago

Sadly, this does not surprise me. It was a classical pile on but this time from practically all sections of society not just one; and not a pile on of abuse but of ridicule. It does show how desensitised people have become in making derogatory comments without considering how they would personally feel if the situation were reversed. It’s a tragedy for his family and for us all if we sacrifice our own humanity in the destruction of the humanity of others.

Hound of Heaven
Hound of Heaven
1 month ago
Reply to  PeterM

It wasn’t a pile on. It was retaliation. If you want to attack “whiteness”, don’t be surprised if it fights back.

AnneCW
AnneCW
1 month ago
Reply to  PeterM

This reaction may have been more widespread than in many other cases, but Mr/Dr Arday’s behaviour was outlandish enough to merit this level of ridicule. That American woman of Scandinavian descent who spent years claiming to be black, and getting jobs and perks on that basis, received similar treatment. Eventually it died down, as this would have in time.

transmissionofflame
transmissionofflame
1 month ago
Reply to  PeterM

It’s very sad. I don’t know which derogatory comments you are referring to – but then I don’t read widely. Just here and one other online forum. I think most people I’ve read comments from were pretty clear that he was only part of a much wider problem and that while every adult is responsible for their own actions, those who used him for their own ends ought to be ashamed of themselves or worse. It’s very unfortunate because this is a completely legitimate public interest story, as an extreme example of how low we have sunk. I suppose everyone could have chosen to keep it quiet. A tricky decision. We don’t know why he did what he did and it’s quite possible this sad outcome would have occurred anyway as even if it had been kept out of the MSM his academic career would surely have been finished.

PeterM
PeterM
1 month ago

I read or saw comments in all forms of media. They were essentially making up fantastical tales and implying it was the sort of thing he would claim. I suppose he was a troubled soul.

transmissionofflame
transmissionofflame
1 month ago
Reply to  PeterM

I think he must have been very troubled for a long time. It’s very sad. He did himself no favours but he was let down by people who ought to have known better.

AnneCW
AnneCW
1 month ago
Reply to  PeterM

Many of those comments are funny, and anyway satirical comments are not what a ‘classical pile-on’ is made of. He did claim some very silly things, and was believed without question because of the state of modern academia and media. I’m sure he didn’t like reading humour at his expense, but that doesn’t make it unjustified or even particularly cruel.

AnneCW
AnneCW
1 month ago

I hoped I was wrong to worry that this was a likely outcome. His poor family. His lies deserved extensive exposure and ridicule, but someone so unstable as to tell such lies so brazenly for so many years was at a high risk of suicide once the establishment was forced to acknowledge the truth.

As well as the horror for his family, there’s also the chance that said truth will now be shouted down by the highly selective Be Kind people and the story will turn from ‘Liar Found Out’ and ‘Academic Rigour Restored’ to ‘How Black People Are Oppressed Even As They Are Gifted Lucrative Academic Positions At Prestigious Universities For No Good Reason’.

Mrs GHC
Mrs GHC
1 month ago
Reply to  AnneCW

Unfortunately, I am sure that you are correct. I very much doubt if there will now be any scrutiny of his “ academic “ prowess, particularly the awarding of the doctorate by John Moores University.

Zipp0
Zipp0
1 month ago

Let down by the wokerati who ‘believed’ him instead of packing him off as a fantabulist chancer

GunnerBill
GunnerBill
1 month ago

Yes RIP, any human being deserves that much.

But let’s not forget he was a willing participant in the machine that allows 1000’s of illegals into our country to rape and kill innocent people, the same machine that let Valdo Calocane and Simon Levy free to kill and the same machine that looks the other way whilst 1000’s of girls are systematically raped.

Am I sorry?

I don’t think so mate.

john1T
john1T
1 month ago

He simply couldn’t cope with the idea of being scrutinised, simply not used to it. The infuriating thing now is that scrutiny into his lies probably won’t happen. Despite overwhelming evidence the BBC are reporting his family’s claims of misinformation against him and his denials. The focus will shift from all the lies and onto all those who simply wanted the truth, and paint them as hounding him to his death.

He was caught out and should have given evidence for his outrageous claims or apologised and faced up to what he did. He leaves two children without a father. I know I should be sympathetic, but honestly I’m not.

Mrs GHC
Mrs GHC
1 month ago
Reply to  john1T

Yes, I couldn agree more, and the irony of his family talking about “ misinformation “ has not escaped me.

Dinger64
Dinger64
1 month ago

Tough, live by the sword die by the sword!

thechap
thechap
1 month ago

The ‘blame’ for his death will be laid at the door of the Right and of those who outed him and mocked his fantastic claims.

Those laying that blame would be wrong.

He created his own fantastic life which crumbled once it received due scrutiny. Before he was outed he accused those who doubted him of racism and may, others claim, have marked students down, likely impacting their lives. This made him vindictive and manipulative.

The fools at Cambridge University who fell over themselves to make a spectacular DEI appointment, who seemingly made no effort to check his credentials, who so turned off their critical thinking that they couldn’t see what was in front of their eyes, who dismissed and vilified those who stated the obvious, are the chief culprits. Their only driving force – their ideology – took over their critical faculties.

Their ideology is evil, which makes them evil.

That he is dead is sad beyond words and an intense tragedy. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones.

This whole episode has been about the removal of truth, so another truth should not be allowed to be overlooked; the only persons responsible… Read more »

Heretic
Heretic
1 month ago
Reply to  thechap

Excellent points. It’s all very convenient for the Globalists, who will use his passing as an excuse to completely shut down all criticism of Third World Ethnics promoted above their abilities by DEI = “Didn’t Earn It”.

That’s why I am a bit suspicious about this news, and wonder whether he was helped off this mortal coil by others making it look like suicide, in order to further their agenda. Third World Ethnics have a very low rate of suicide compared to Ethnic Europeans, especially White Males who top the scale, except for Ethnic Oriental Japanese men, whose traditions encourage suicide.

Heretic
Heretic
1 month ago
Reply to  Heretic

There is another possibility. Since it seems the Globalists have arranged to quietly “reward” Third World Ethnic Criminals by giving them lenient sentences, early release and moving them to more comfortable prison conditions, like the Sikh Murderer of Henry Nowak, given 4 prison guards to protect him from other prisoners, moving his Evil Sikh Mother to a cushy prison, as well as the Rwandan Welsh Choirboy now able to use the swimming pool and entertainment facilities in Broadmoor, maybe the Globalists have quickly solved the problem of Jason Arday’s exposure as a charlatan.

Did the Globalists help him do an “Epstein”, faking suicide to be smuggled out with his family to a new identity somewhere else? And garner an outpouring of public sympathy, stifling all further criticism, while stopping all further investigations into his massive fraud? Just wondering…

Just Stop it Now
Just Stop it Now
1 month ago
Reply to  thechap

Quite. A fragile and flawed personality was put in a position he was not equipped to deal with, is subjected to a huge but justified media ‘pile on’. I can’t imagine the pressure he was under.

NeilParkin
NeilParkin
1 month ago

Flawed yes, but fragile.? It takes a serious amount of hutzpah to maintain the untruths that he built his life and career on for 20 years. I don’t know anything much about his family, but did no-one ask, ‘where is the money and fame coming from.? How are you doing this.?’

My first thought about this sad business is that he was a wrong-un but it appears, surrounded by people who were benefitting from him in this piece of theatre to the extent that they would not, could not, bring down his house of cards. The first time he fell under journalistic scrutiny (which the usual suspects were prepared to sue the journalist or have him put in jail), all his supposed achievements turn to dust. It wasn’t hard to spot, that one man could not have done or been all these things he claimed.

Any un-necessary death is tragic, and I feel sad that his kids wont have a father to depend on as they grow up, but where did they all think this was going to lead.?

Loftier
Loftier
1 month ago
Reply to  thechap

Inevitably Mayor Khan is one of the first to do so.

It is frankly staggering that Khan and his ilk are still trying to run the ‘hounded by racists’ nonsense in the face of this tragedy so I’ll spell it out.

Mr. Arday was not hounded out of his job because of the colour of his skin he was given his job because of the colour of his skin – a job his highly fanciful CV and questionable qualifications should not have got him anywhere near. The subsequent scrutiny built up to a crescendo not because Mr. Arday was black but because of the now standard response to people questioning DEI initiatives is to call them racist. Unfortunately the enforcers of these programs didn’t have a plan B ready in case this long used response failed so they were left with the only option to throw their man under the bus.

It is not the right that needs to learn lessons from this it is the left.

Mayor Khan does not, and I will venture will never understand this.

soundofreason
soundofreason
1 month ago
Reply to  Loftier

Everyone seems to be assuming suicide. As a comparison, early reports were that Anne Widdecombe had had an accident.

Heretic
Heretic
1 month ago
Reply to  soundofreason

It also could be that the Globalists helped him pull an “Epstein”, faking his own death to be smuggled out for a new identity with his family elsewhere.

Matt Dalby
Matt Dalby
1 month ago
Reply to  Heretic

Imo it’s far more likely a few very wealthy people arranged for Epstein to be murdered before he faced more charges and dropped his friends/associates in the shit as part of plea bargining.

If he died there’s only 4 people, a couple prison guards, a doctor and a coroner who know how it happened. For $1million each, small change to a lot of his friends, it would be easy to find a couple of guards prepared to murder him and a prison doctor and coroner prepared to cover it up by saying it was suicide.

Heretic
Heretic
1 month ago
Reply to  Matt Dalby

I agree with those who say that Epstein is alive & well & living in disguise in Israel or Andinia, waiting for Grisly Maxwell to join him.

disgruntled246
disgruntled246
1 month ago
Reply to  Loftier

Khan is incapable of learning anything.
My only hope is that one day hubris will get to him.

disgruntled246
disgruntled246
1 month ago
Reply to  thechap

And the Guardian covered the case as well which all the keyboard warriors of the left are choosing to ignore.

Hound of Heaven
Hound of Heaven
1 month ago
Reply to  thechap

Will they be identified? Dead men tell no tales.

thechap
thechap
1 month ago

If an inquiry is run, maybe. There will he no reckoning for them, though, because that’s how things operate in the UK now.

Tyrbiter
Tyrbiter
1 month ago

Very sad, no one should feel that death is their only way out. He needed support from people who were prepared to look past his mistakes and see the human being.

Matt Dalby
Matt Dalby
1 month ago
Reply to  Tyrbiter

He was a pathological liar, cheat and race baiter, these are hardly minor mistakes people should look past.

His death is a tragedy for his family but karma catches up with everyone sooner or later.

Tonka Rigger
Tonka Rigger
1 month ago

Well, RIP says I. The man may have been a fraud and a faux academic, but I am sorry to hear this, especially as he has a family.

Heretic
Heretic
1 month ago
Reply to  Tonka Rigger

One truly admirable thing about him was that he didn’t go chasing after White Women, but chose to marry a naturally beautiful, hardworking Ethnic African woman, who bore him two Ethnic African children. In that, he has set a splendid example to his fellow Ethnic Africans, honouring all Ethnic African women, and showing that he, like the great boxer Cassius Clay, preferred to marry “his own”.

Cassius Clay once said that only an Ethnic African woman could really understand him, and “I want my kids to look like me”.

Heretic
Heretic
1 month ago
Reply to  Heretic

comment image

stillonlplates
stillonlplates
1 month ago
Reply to  Heretic

Not sure I think it ‘admirable’, particularly. The heart wants what the heart wants. Ali, of course, was the victim of racism, but was a bit that way inclined himself, albeit a brave man.

Heretic
Heretic
1 month ago
Reply to  stillonlplates

In a world where so many Third World Ethnics scorn their own people and dream of having a White Spouse, Jason Arday was brave enough to stand against that, and honour “his own” Ethnic African ladies by choosing to marry one.

In this, he was ADMIRABLE.

Now watch the great Ethnic African Cassius Clay = Mohammed Ali wipe the floor with Weedy Wet Liberal Michael Parkinson:

Muhammad Ali – Racial Integration

Jon Mors
Jon Mors
1 month ago
Reply to  Heretic

Can’t we just say that he set a good example for us all, and the black community especially, by being a solid family man (which it seems he was) without shoe-horning in a point about race?

Heretic
Heretic
1 month ago
Reply to  Jon Mors

How do you think Ethnic African women feel when their Ethnic African men are all chasing after White Women and scorning “their own”?

Ditto Ethnic Indian Subcontinentals, Ethnic Orientals & the others.

Here’s what the great Ethnic African Cassius Clay = Mohammed Ali had to say about it to your fellow Weedy Wet Liberal Michael Parkinson:

Muhammad Ali – Racial Integration

Dinger64
Dinger64
1 month ago
Reply to  Jon Mors

Sorry but he lived his life by shoehorning in everything about race at every possible occasion!

Heretic
Heretic
1 month ago
Reply to  Dinger64

You have nailed it, Dinger!

Willsywoo44
Willsywoo44
1 month ago
Reply to  Tonka Rigger

Something I don’t remember reading in the MSM

Heretic
Heretic
1 month ago
Reply to  Willsywoo44

Yes, you are right to point that out. His wife and two children were barely mentioned in the MSM.

Jack the dog
Jack the dog
1 month ago
Reply to  Tonka Rigger

Hear hear.

I would add that the Cambridge authorites, by indulging his fastasies, and then throwing him under a bus when politically expedient, have blood on their hands.

stillonlplates
stillonlplates
1 month ago
Reply to  Jack the dog

I wondered if this would happen when he resigned. The chances were that the Liverpool lot would be forced (eventually) into admitting that he shouldn’t have been awarded that doctorate, and that would have been that for his ‘academic’ career. He’d have been reduced to writing books about racism, exploitation and white privilege, and hoping that they sold.
A shame for his family, but a catastrophe for the reputation of our university system, which greased the wheels of this roller-coaster of events.
I’m left wondering whether one fewer ‘professor of sociology of education’ will make much of a dent in the universe.
It could well spawn a new position, ‘professor of the toxicology of sociology of education’.
Perish the thought!

Dinger64
Dinger64
1 month ago
Reply to  Tonka Rigger

Agreed, but it was all his own doing, egged on by diversity equity and inclusion freeks!

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