Jason Arday, the former Cambridge University professor of sociology of education who faced plagiarism allegations, has died aged 41. Emergency services found him unconscious at an address in Battersea, south London, on Friday afternoon. Metropolitan Police said the death is currently being treated as unexpected but is not believed to be suspicious. Arday resigned from his Cambridge post last week after allegations and questions about some of his achievements.

Arday denied plagiarism allegations, although he acknowledged errors in some early academic work. He said those mistakes were linked to autism and his reliance on mimicry to understand information. Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded his PhD in 2015, concluded in an investigation that he had not committed plagiarism. Cambridge had nevertheless announced an independent investigation into his appointment.

His family said a campaign of misinformation had become too much for him. Cambridge Vice-Chancellor Deborah Prentice, Education Secretary Lucy Powell, Glasgow University and Durham University expressed condolences. Friend Kehinde Andrews said Arday had been deeply distressed after resigning. Appointed in 2023 at age 37, Arday was celebrated as Cambridge's youngest Black professor.