Former Cambridge professor Jason Arday found dead amid ‘DEI hire’ row

Jason Arday, a Black former professor at Cambridge University, was discovered dead at his home in Battersea, London, following intense public scrutiny and accusations of being a "DEI hire." The National Education Union's general secretary, Daniel Kebede, disclosed that Arday had endured a "public and brutal takedown" marked by racist attacks from the British media and right-wing commentators.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that Arday was found unresponsive at his residence on Friday afternoon, and his death has been deemed unexpected.

Arday, the youngest Black professor at Cambridge in 2023, resigned from his position as a professor of sociology of education on August 5th, following the initiation of an investigation at the university. Initially accused of plagiarizing his PhD thesis from Liverpool John Moores University, additional scrutiny subsequently targeted various aspects of his life and accomplishments.

Arday resigned due to the "profound toll" that relentless accusations, speculation, and public commentary had taken on him. Upon leaving his post, he expressed his profound distress at the relentless accusations, speculation, and public commentary that had taken a heavy toll on him. Liverpool University conducted an investigation into the plagiarism allegations in February 2023 and concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support them.

However, in a Substack post on July 21st, US researcher Nathan Cofnas claimed to have run Arday's 2015 PhD dissertation through a plagiarism detection program, finding "substantial overlap" with previously published work. Cofnas concluded that Arday had been "recruited to promote the ideology of DEI." This questioning of his career, achievements, and qualifications culminated in a media frenzy.

A close friend of Arday, Prof Simon Baron-Cohen, spoke to him hours before his death. Baron-Cohen recounted that over the past few weeks, Arday had been subjected to ridicule and humiliation on an hourly basis as the plagiarism allegations gained national and international attention. Arday expressed his inability to leave his home due to the widespread shame and recognition resulting from the accusations.

Baron-Cohen confirmed that Arday maintained his innocence, stating that he didn't fabricate or lie. Upon Baron-Cohen's final interaction with Arday, the professor conveyed his belief in a racist playbook designed to discredit Black academics in universities.

Jason Arday's family released a statement expressing their grief over the loss of the gentle man who always sought to see the best in everyone.