Jason Arday’s family: ‘Campaign of misinformation was too much for him’

Prof Arday, who resigned following a plagiarism row, was pronounced dead after emergency services were called to Daley Thompson Way in Battersea.

The family of former University of Cambridge professor Jason Arday said they are “in shock to have lost this amazing father, partner, brother, uncle and son”, adding “the campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason”.

Prof Arday, who resigned following a plagiarism row, was pronounced dead after emergency services were called to Daley Thompson Way, in Battersea, just after 3pm on Friday to reports a man had been found unresponsive inside a property.

The Metropolitan Police said his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious.

In a statement issued by his publisher Simon & Schuster UK, Prof Arday’s family said: “Jason was subjected to a campaign of sustained abuse for the more than three years since he accepted the role of professor at Cambridge University by those who would leave no stone unturned in their quest to undermine him.

“The campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason, who was a gentle man and who always wanted to see the best in everyone.

“We are in shock to have lost this amazing father, partner, brother, uncle and son.

“We won’t comment further at this point beyond asking the press to leave us alone now, and to stop the campaign of harassment which has been waged against Jason and his family for too long.”

University of Cambridge vice-chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice said: “We are desperately saddened to hear this tragic news.

“Our heartfelt sympathies go to Jason Arday’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.”

Education Secretary Lucy Powell has said she was “deeply shocked and saddened to hear about the death of Jason Arday” as she urged people to “remember there are real people with loved ones involved”.

She wrote on X: “I’m deeply shocked and saddened to hear about the death of Jason Arday.

“My heartfelt condolences are with his friends and family at this very sad time.

“I urge people to give them privacy through this incredibly difficult period & to remember there are real people with loved ones involved.”

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “Police were called by the London Ambulance Service at 3.12pm on Friday, 14 August following a report that a man had been found unresponsive inside a property on Daley Thompson Way, SW8.

“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.”

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 3.06pm on Friday 14 August to reports of an incident on Daley Thompson Way, SW8.

“We sent a number of resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an advanced paramedic in a fast response car and members of our Hazardous Area Response Team.

“Sadly, a person was pronounced dead at the scene.”

Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the Labour MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill, criticised the University of Cambridge for its handling of allegations around Prof Arday’s conduct.

Ms Ribeiro-Addy told Sky News: “The university has a number of questions to answer.

“They appointed him. They celebrated him.

“And then, when a media pile-on began, they not only investigated him and exonerated him, they decided that they would investigate him again.

“They have a lot to bear in terms of what has happened here.”

Jo Maugham, executive director of Good Law Project, said Jason Arday’s death is “a tragedy for him and those who loved him”.

He added: “Those around him had been warning the media that this was a risk – it was one reason why I refused to join those condemning him – and I do not understand what the public interest was in continuing to hound him after he resigned as a professor and I do not understand what risk assessments media outlets did.”

He told Sky News he was “pretty devastated”, adding: “As you can hear, I’m pretty distressed about it. I was in touch with Jason, I was speaking to him every single, every day or two. I have been for the last few weeks.

“I just heard it reported on your programme that the police have described his death as unexpected. I can’t tell you that it’s unexpected to me because he has been telling me for some days that he thinks his life is over.”

Prof Arday, a professor of sociology of education who became Cambridge’s youngest black professor in 2023, quit following a series of media reports alleging he plagiarised his PhD thesis – completed at Liverpool John Moores University – and other research.

Further questions were asked in the press about the truth of other claims he made, including saying he ran 600 miles in six days and that he had raised £5.5 million for charity.

An investigation at Liverpool John Moores University cleared Prof Arday of wrongdoing.

Durham and Glasgow universities are investigating the circumstances around Prof Arday’s appointment to academic posts there and Cambridge’s Jesus College accepted his resignation from his fellowship, according to Prof Prentice.

Prof Arday said in his open resignation letter that the “only way to bring this chapter to an end is to step away”.

He said: “This decision should not be interpreted as a loss of faith in scholarship or in the values that first brought me to Cambridge.

“Nor should it be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me.

“It is simply the decision of someone who has reached the limits of what any person should reasonably be expected to endure.”

Over the weekend, he cancelled events promoting his forthcoming memoir.

Publisher Simon & Schuster previously said that the book, Great And Unfortunate Things, would be published in the UK on August 27.

This week the University of Cambridge said it would run an independent review of “all relevant processes” alongside an investigation into how Prof Arday was appointed by its Faculty of Education.

Last week, the university confirmed it would continue its investigation into the circumstances around Prof Arday’s “appointment and tenure” after he quit, adding that findings will feed into a review of the process for appointing senior roles.

Dozens of academics at the prestigious institution signed a letter calling for an independent inquiry into the processes around his appointment.

Prof Prentice announced the independent review on Thursday.

She said in a statement: “I have… taken the step of asking the deputy chair of the University Council and the Council’s Audit Committee to establish the terms of an independent review of all relevant University processes, with the outcome to be reported directly to the Council.

“This will operate independently of, but alongside, the investigation into the circumstances around Jason Arday’s appointment and time at Cambridge.

“I am also aware of calls from some members of our community for an audit of our HR procedures and practices, which I will ask that this review addresses. I will also stress the importance of this review proceeding at pace and concluding as quickly as is possible.”

In an update on Wednesday, Prof Prentice said that the investigation into Prof Arday’s employment will be carried out “independently by senior academics from within and beyond Cambridge”.

In a statement, she said: “I fully understand the concerns being raised across the university and well beyond it regarding Jason Arday’s appointment and I share them.

“I know there is anger and anxiety around this damaging and difficult case.

“We will now investigate the circumstances around his appointment by the Faculty of Education back in 2022 and his time here in Cambridge since his appointment nearly four years ago.”

Prof Prentice added: “In light of the focus on this troubling case and the widespread commentary around it, I want to be very clear that we do not need the outcomes of an investigation to clearly and loudly affirm that our staff of colour are highly valued, for their scholarship, their achievements and the contributions they make to the institution and the wider academic community.

“This particular case is an aberration and should not be used to cast aspersions on their work or the legitimacy of their roles at Cambridge.”

Professor Priyamvada Gopal, professor of postcolonial studies at Cambridge’s English faculty and one of the signatories who called for an independent inquiry, told the Press Association last week that Prof Arday’s case had “acted as a gift to people and forces who have been targeting equality, diversity and inclusion in universities for a long time now”.