Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu, president of Wolfson College at Cambridge University, has reportedly withdrawn her name from an open letter in support of Professor Jason Arday, who is currently facing allegations of plagiarism and scrutiny over his past claims. The open letter, initiated by the campaign group Good Law Project, accused "right-wing newspapers" of attempting to "smear" Professor Arday with "fake accusations of plagiarism."

Dame Ijeoma was initially listed as the second signatory on the letter. However, her name is no longer visible on the letter's web page. She was one of three Cambridge college principals who had signed the document, which stated, "We, the undersigned, are appalled by the sustained and malicious attacks on the academic integrity of Professor Jason Arday."

Another signatory, Lord Woolley, who had identified himself as the principal of Homerton College, also had his academic role removed from the letter, though his name remains. These developments signal a potential erosion of support for Professor Arday as revelations about his past continue to surface, intensifying pressure on university authorities for further investigation.

Professor Arday, who became Cambridge's youngest black professor at the age of 37, has been a prominent figure in discussions about diversity in academia. However, he is now facing questions regarding his academic record, particularly his 2015 PhD thesis. Critics have accused him of copying substantial portions from another student's earlier research, leading him to acknowledge a series of errors in his work. Despite these admissions, Professor Arday has maintained that he is not a "liar and fantasist."

Further scrutiny has been cast on sensational claims Professor Arday has made about his life. This includes an assertion, made in a 2022 talk, that he appeared in the television series "Seven Up." The original "Seven Up" series, which follows participants every seven years from the age of seven, began in 1964, decades before Professor Arday was born in 1985. In response to inquiries, Professor Arday clarified that his reference to "Seven Up" was not to the well-known TV series but to a "local community and parent-led initiative" focused on supporting Black mothers. He stated this was used informally as shorthand and should be understood in its original context.

A BBC spokesperson confirmed that Professor Arday had no connection to their "Seven Up" films.

Additional reports have raised doubts about other aspects of Professor Arday's narrative. An investigation by The Guardian questioned a claim that a pig's head was sent to his home as part of a racist intimidation campaign. Professor Arday stated that police investigated the matter, but the Metropolitan Police have denied this.

Professor Arday's academic career prior to Cambridge included teaching positions at four universities. His elevation to Cambridge led to increased scrutiny of his background, which includes overcoming significant challenges, such as being diagnosed with autism, dyslexia, and global developmental delay, and being non-verbal until age 11. He has stated he learned to read and write at 18 before pursuing higher education.

While Liverpool John Moores University had previously cleared him of academic misconduct concerning his PhD, calls for a new inquiry have emerged following the uncovering of numerous passages critics claim are plagiarized.