A fundraising campaign for the family of former Cambridge professor Jason Arday has raised over £75,000, with more than 2,500 donations received. The fund, initiated by Windrush campaigner Sir Patrick Vernon, is intended to assist with funeral costs.

Arday, who was 37 and became Cambridge's youngest Black professor in 2023, resigned from his position earlier this month. He was found dead at his home in Battersea, south-west London, on Friday. Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, a fellow professor and director of the Autism Research Centre, told the BBC that Arday was facing "relentless scrutiny, including ridicule," and was "not coping."

In his resignation letter on August 5, Arday cited "unrelenting public scrutiny" and the "personal cost" of the controversy as reasons for stepping down, stating it was taking a toll on him and those close to him. Cambridge University and Jesus College had launched investigations into Arday's academic qualifications following the emergence of "new information."

Recent criticism had also focused on claims made in his memoir, including that he was non-verbal until the age of 11, which some former classmates challenged.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham described Arday's death as a "tragedy on so many levels" and urged reflection rather than immediate judgment.

In a statement, Arday's publisher Simon & Schuster UK relayed that his family was "in shock to have lost this amazing father, partner, brother, uncle, and son." They added that Arday had been subjected to a "campaign of sustained abuse" by those seeking to undermine him, and that the "campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason, who was a gentle man and who always wanted to see the best in everyone."

Shadow communities secretary Sir James Cleverly called the death tragic and expressed anger, stating that academic institutions had "serious questions to answer" for placing Arday in positions for which he was unqualified, suggesting it was for their own benefit to showcase a "black wunderkind."

A flag flew at half-mast outside Jesus College, where Arday had worked, and flowers were laid in tribute. A vigil is scheduled to take place on Monday evening in Trafalgar Square, central London, organized by the campaign group Stand Up To Racism.