Tragedy at Cambridge: The fallout from Jason Arday's plagiarism allegations

Cambridge University condemned a "racist feeding frenzy" following the death of black academic Jason Arday, who was found dead last week. Arday, the university's youngest black professor, resigned from his post after facing multiple allegations of plagiarism. Chris Smith, the university's chancellor, stated that it was important to rigorously investigate plagiarism claims, but also refused to join in the racism towards Arday.

Arday, 41, had reached his limit after the plagiarism accusations were widely reported in the media. He expressed that he could "no longer endure" the treatment. Arday's family believes a "misinformation campaign" was responsible for the allegations. An online fundraising page for Arday's family raised over £146,000, and a petition demanding a public inquiry into the media coverage had gathered nearly 32,400 signatures.

The university is facing questions over its handling of the situation and treatment of Arday. James Cleverly, a right-wing opposition MP, suggested that some scrutiny of Arday may have been motivated by racism, but argued that the situation could have been avoided if the university had conducted proper due diligence before appointing him.

Cambridge's vice-chancellor, Deborah Prentice, had previously announced an investigation into Arday's appointment and his time at the university.