Inquest Opens into Unnatural Death of Cambridge Professor Who Resigned After Plagiarism Claims

An inquest into the sudden death of a former professor at the University of Cambridge who resigned after being accused of plagiarism opened in London on Aug. 26.Jason Arday, 41, was found dead in the British capital on Aug. 13, days after he left his post at the prestigious seat of learning following weeks of intense media coverage centered on allegations of plagiarism in his academic work.The inquest opened with a short hearing at London Inner South Coroner’s Court, a standard practice in Britain for any deaths in the country deemed by authorities to exhibit uncertainties.These proceedings are presided over by a coroner—an independent judicial officeholder, similar to a judge—charged with investigating such deaths.Julian Morris, the coroner in charge of the inquest, said that “various reports have given me reason to suspect that Professor Arday died an unnatural death 12 days ago.”“It therefore follows that I must open an investigation,” he added.London’s Metropolitan Police said at the time of Arday’s death that it was being “treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious,” in a statement.Arday became Cambridge’s youngest black professor in 2023, at age 37.His field was the sociology of education.“While criticism is an inevitable part of academic life, what I have experienced has gone far beyond scholarly disagreement,” Arday said in a statement announcing his resignation earlier this month. “The relentless accusations, speculation, and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love.”Supporters rejected the plagiarism claims. More than two dozen academics and politicians described the allegations as a “smear campaign” to undermine Arday and other black people who had attained “positions of influence.”After Arday’s resignation, the University of Cambridge said in a statement that it had launched an investigation “following new information about Professor Arday’s academic qualifications and honorary appointments,” adding that a separate investigation was already underway into complaints regarding “academic misconduct.”Separately, Liverpool John Moores University, where Arday completed his Ph.D., said in a July statement to British outlet The Telegraph that it had previously investigated plagiarism allegations relating to the academic’s doctoral thesis and that, following that probe, his Ph.D. “still stands.”Arday’s family said they were “in shock to have lost this amazing father, partner, brother, uncle, and son” in a statement issued by his publisher, Simon & Schuster U.K.“The campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason, who was a gentle man and who always wanted to see the best in everyone,” the family said, highlighting that for three years, Arday had been “subjected to a campaign of sustained abuse … by those who would leave no stone unturned in their quest to undermine him.”Arday’s 2023 appointment at Cambridge drew widespread coverage partially because of his personal story. He spoke of overcoming dyslexia, developmental delays, and autism. He claimed that those conditions left him nonverbal until the age of 11 and illiterate until his late teens.Arday’s death even drew comment from British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who, on Aug. 15, described his demise as a “tragedy on so many levels.”“It’s not a moment for any rushing to judgment. It’s a moment for reflection, I would say, reflecting on how things came to this,” he told British broadcaster ITV.“A really sad, sad and sorry state of affairs and I think we all today think of Jason, his contribution, and his family and friends,” Burnham, a Cambridge graduate, added.Two days later, on Aug. 17, a vigil held in London’s Trafalgar Square commemorating Arday’s life was attended by thousands.The Associated Press, Reuters, and Kimberly Hayek contributed to this report.