Cambridge head slams 'feeding frenzy' over dead academic

The head of Cambridge University, Chris Smith, has strongly condemned the racist "feeding frenzy" that erupted following plagiarism allegations against Jason Arday, the university's youngest black professor. Arday, who was 41, was found dead last week after resigning from his position in protest of the accusations. Smith emphasized the importance of a rigorous investigation into the plagiarism claims, but also stressed the need to refrain from participating in a racist frenzy that targeted a specific individual.

Arday had resigned on August 5 after the media widely covered the plagiarism accusations. On Friday, Arday's body was discovered at his home in London, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham, a Cambridge alumnus, describing the incident as a tragedy on multiple levels. Arday's family has accused a misinformation campaign for his death.

An online fundraising page for his family had raised over £146,000 by Monday morning and a petition demanding a public inquiry into the media coverage of Arday had gathered nearly 32,400 signatures. The Stand Up To Racism group planned vigils in both London's Trafalgar Square and Cambridge. Cambridge University is currently under scrutiny for its handling of the allegations and the treatment of Arday.

Opposition MP James Cleverly suggested that some scrutiny of Arday may have been motivated by racism, but he emphasized that the situation could have been avoided if proper due diligence had been conducted during senior academic appointments at the university. Prior to Arday's death, Cambridge's vice-chancellor, Deborah Prentice, announced an investigation into the circumstances of his appointment and his tenure at the university.