The family of Jason Arday, a former Cambridge University professor who had been accused of plagiarism, said his sudden death Friday followed what they described as a “campaign of misinformation” that “was too much for Jason.”
Arday, 41, was found dead at his home in south London a little more than a week after resigning from his post, as Cambridge confirmed it had opened an investigation into the allegations.
“Jason was subjected to a campaign of sustained abuse for more than three years since he accepted the role of professor at Cambridge University by those who would leave no stone unturned in their quest to undermine him,” his family said in a statement Friday, according to the UK Guardian.
“The campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason, who was a gentle man and who always wanted to see the best in everyone,” the statement continued. “We are in shock to have lost this amazing father, partner, brother, uncle and son.”
The family added, “We won’t comment further at this point beyond asking the press to leave us alone now, and to stop the campaign of harassment which has been waged against Jason and his family for too long.”
Arday, who was recognized as the youngest Black professor in Cambridge University’s history, was found “unresponsive” at his south London residence and was later pronounced dead at the scene, the outlet reported.
He stepped down from his role on Aug. 5 after the university began looking into claims that he had plagiarized sections of his Ph.D. dissertation and misrepresented positions he held at other institutions.
The allegations against Arday included claims that more than 100 passages in his dissertation were taken from another academic’s work, as well as accusations that he lied about previous university appointments.
