Coroner Opens Inquiry into Death of Former Cambridge Professor Amid Plagiarism Controversy

An inquest commenced on Wednesday into the sudden death of Jason Arday, a former Cambridge University professor who resigned following a wave of plagiarism allegations.

Arday, 41, who was appointed as Cambridge’s youngest Black professor in 2023, was discovered deceased at a property in south London on August 13. His death occurred days after he stepped down from his role as professor of sociology of education, which followed intense media examination of his academic credentials and various personal achievements.

The initial hearing was held at London Inner South Coroner’s Court. Senior coroner Dr. Julian Morris emphasized the need for an investigation due to uncertainties surrounding the case, stating, “The various reports have given me reason to suspect that Professor Arday died an unnatural death 12 days ago. It therefore follows that I must open an investigation.”

Authorities had previously noted that the death was treated as unexpected but not suspicious.

The scrutiny of Arday’s qualifications began last month when Nathan Cofnas, a former Cambridge philosophy researcher, publicly challenged them. Cofnas, who departed the university after his critiques of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives sparked protests, was subsequently suspended from his position at Ghent University in Belgium.

In the aftermath, reports surfaced alleging that over 100 passages in Arday’s 2015 PhD thesis were identical or closely resembled content from another scholar’s work.

Further questions arose regarding Arday’s personal claims, such as raising £5.5 million for charity through feats including completing 30 marathons in 35 days and running 600 miles in six days, as well as his account of overcoming developmental delays that left him non-verbal until age 11. Arday later revised some of these assertions.

While Arday denied plagiarism, he admitted to certain errors made during his doctoral research.

The news of his death elicited widespread mourning, with a fundraiser established in his memory securing nearly £225,000 from thousands of donors to support his family and cover funeral costs.

The formal inquest opening coincides with the UK publication of Arday’s memoir, “Great and Unfortunate Things,” by Simon & Schuster. The book details his transformation from a non-verbal, illiterate child into a trailblazing academic.

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