Jason Arday found dead week after resignation

Three years ago, Jason Arday made history, becoming Cambridge University's youngest-ever Black professor. But earlier this month, he was at the center of a plagiarism row, and last week, he quit his role with immediate effect. Tonight, it's been confirmed that Professor Jason Arday has been found dead. In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said they were called by the London Ambulance Service this afternoon following a report that a man had been found unresponsive inside a property. Sadly, a 41-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by officers. Since his appointment as a Cambridge professor of sociology of education in 2023, Professor Jason Arday regularly appeared in the media talking about a variety of subjects, from societal debates-- I think when we think about monarchy and we think about how we modernize the monarchy and how the monarchy--

--to his personal journey into academia. There's one thing you said to me which I never forgot, and it was when I was 22 and I said to you I was thinking about doing a PhD. And you said to me, it would be the greatest story in the world if the kid who didn't know how to read and write managed to get a PhD.

But there were recent allegations of plagiarism and questions about some of his achievements. He denied the claims. He admitted errors in his work but said he had faced an unrelenting level of public scrutiny and personal attack and was not a liar. Some critics had said the treatment of him had been motivated by racism, but others said the claims of plagiarism were legitimate. In a statement tonight, Cambridge University said it was deeply saddened to hear the tragic news that Jason Arday has died. The Metropolitan Police said his death was being treated as unexpected but is not believed to be suspicious. Helena Wilkinson, BBC News. Arday's family put out a statement saying, quote, "Jason was subjected to a campaign of sustained abuse for the 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. The campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason, who was a gentle man and who always wanted to see the best in everyone."