UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham called for ‘reflection’ Saturday after the death of Jason Arday, as the former Cambridge academic’s family denounced what they called years of harassment amid plagiarism accusations.
Arday, 41, was found dead Friday, nine days after he quit as a Cambridge University professor and Jesus College fellow following both institutions announcing probes into various allegations, in an affair that sparked racism claims.
In an overnight statement, his family said he had been “subjected to a campaign of sustained abuse for more than three years since he accepted the role of professor at Cambridge University”.
They alleged it “was too much for Jason, who was a gentle man and who always wanted to see the best in everyone”. Others highlighted the vulnerability of a man who had been diagnosed with autism.
Arday, who became Cambridge’s youngest black professor in 2023, had himself claimed to be the target of a “racially motivated” campaign.
