The family of Cambridge University academic Jason Arday, who was found dead after resigning over plagiarism allegations, said on Friday that he was a “kind man” who had faced “sustained abuse”.
Mr Ardey, 41, is the youngest black professor in the history of Cambridge University and until last month was a prominent public figure, but his fall from grace quickly fell amid intense questioning about his academic achievements and charity work.
Ardey was the focus of hundreds of articles in the British and international media questioning his credibility and defaming his character.
News of his death shocked far and wide, with many mourners claiming his treatment was disproportionate, if not outright racist.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Saturday described Ardey’s death as “a tragedy on so many levels”.
“This is not the time to rush to judgment,” Burnham told reporters. “I would say this is a time of reflection, a time to reflect on how things came to be this way.”
In a statement released by Arday’s publisher, Simon & Schuster UK, on Saturday, Arday’s family said she had had to contend with years of abuse.
“For more than three years, since Jason accepted a professorship at the University of Cambridge, he has been subjected to continuous abuse by those who did everything in their power to undermine him,” the family said.
“The disinformation campaign was too much for Jason, a kind man who always wanted to see the good in everyone,” the statement continued.
“We are devastated by the loss of this wonderful father, partner, brother, uncle and son,” Ardey’s family said, asking reporters to respect their privacy and “stop the campaign of harassment that has been waged against Jason and his family for far too long.”
Cambridge University initially defended Mr Arday, but as speculation mounted the prestigious university’s support waned and it launched an internal investigation earlier this month.
Although the university announced that he would remain in his position during the investigation, Ardey resigned soon after.
Mr Ardey acknowledged the persistent criticism he had received from the press in his resignation letter, which he published in early August through the Good Law Project, a UK-based non-profit organization aimed at combating injustice across the UK.
“Unfortunately, my first few years in office have also been marked by relentless public scrutiny and personal attacks,” Ardey wrote. “While criticism is inevitable in academic life, what I experienced went far beyond academic disagreement. The relentless accusations, speculation, and public commentary took a toll on me and those I love.”
Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, a Cambridge-based clinical psychologist and director of the Center for Autism Research, said Ms Ardey’s mental state had worsened since the allegations began.
“He really wasn’t coping,” Baron Cohen told BBC Radio 4’s Today program on Saturday. “He was subjected to relentless scrutiny, including ridicule, and every detail of his life was completely discredited.”
“He was an incredibly kind, gentle, caring and generous person who has been portrayed in the media as a plagiarist, liar and fraudster. He needed and deserved protection, support and reasonable accommodations every step of the way.”
Baron-Cohen said he has been in touch with Arday since his resignation and received his last message on Friday morning.
“His last words were, he can’t go on anymore,” Baron-Cohen said. “We need to proceed with the investigation and understand how this tragedy occurred, but we must also take responsibility on many levels,” he added.
London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, said Ms Arday was the victim of “public humiliation”.
Mr Khan said: “My thoughts are in shock for Jason Arday’s family and friends. He has faced an unacceptable campaign of hounding and abuse in public. I know many Londoners will be angry and upset tonight.”
“Jason Arday was the victim of harmful public shaming that others in his position would never have faced. His death was a tragedy, but once again it should serve as a wake-up call to us all,” he added.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said Mr Ardeh had been subjected to a “brutal removal in public life that sparked a torrent of racism from the worst elements of the British media and right-wing commentators”.
Many commentators have expressed concern about Mr. Arde’s treatment in the press since the allegations became public, arguing that his case has received far more media attention than those of other professors accused of plagiarism.
“Jason Arday was not the first academic at Cambridge University to be accused of plagiarism, nor was he the first to make incredible claims about his life in his autobiography,” British journalist and author Ash Sarkar posted on X following his death. “But he was the first to have these things become front page stories in multiple newspapers for days and days.”
