Jason Arday, the 41-year-old history-making author and academic who became Cambridge’s youngest Black professor, was found dead only days after he resigned from the university amid plagiarism allegations.
"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,” Arday’s family said in a statement shared to various outlets.
According to reporting from Reuters, Arday’s body was found “unresponsive” in the Southwest London district of Battersea.
"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," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement to Reuters. "At this time his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious.”
Arday’s death came less than two weeks after the professor resigned from his post at the University of Cambridge amid allegations of plagiarism and fabrications in his biography.
His memoir, "Great and Unfortunate Things," published by Simon & Schuster, was released Aug. 11. The publisher described the book as Arday's journey "overcoming remarkable challenges and responding to adversity with resilience."
A death amid a resignation
On Aug. 5, Arday announced his decision to leave his position at Cambridge and its constituent Jesus College, effective immediately. In a statement, Arday said he had become the target of "relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary [which] have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love."
Allegations of plagiarism against Arday were first raised last month by Nathan Cofnas, a right-wing academic who has previously criticized diversity and inclusion policies, saying, "Blacks would disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment."
Before his resignation, Arday denied any intentional wrongdoing in an interview with The Times of London and said much of the criticism against him was racially and ideologically motivated.
“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,” Arday said in a July 31 interview with the outlet.
According to The Times of London, Liverpool John Moores University had previously investigated allegations related to Arday’s doctoral thesis and found no evidence of academic misconduct
Contributing: Reuters
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jason Arday, Cambridge professor accused of plagiarism, found dead at 41
