An inquest has begun into the death of Jason Arday, a former professor at the University of Cambridge who faced allegations of plagiarism before his resignation. Arday was found dead at his London home on August 14, just days after stepping down from his position. He had been appointed Cambridge's youngest Black professor at the age of 37 in 2023.
During a hearing at the London Inner South Coroner's Court on Wednesday, Senior Coroner Dr. Julian Morris stated that he had "reason to suspect that Professor Arday died an unnatural death." The coroner informed the court that an investigation would be opened and further directions would be set.
The Metropolitan Police had previously described Arday's death as unexpected but not believed to be suspicious. The inquest heard that Arday was found unresponsive by family members at his home in Battersea. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead.
Arday, 41, had denied plagiarism claims but acknowledged errors in his work. He stated that the controversy surrounding his academic achievements had resulted in "an unrelenting level of public scrutiny and personal attack." The allegations of plagiarism were brought forward by academic Nathan Cofnas, who had previously been dismissed from a Cambridge role. Arday had suggested that some of the errors in his work were related to his autism, explaining that he used mimicry to process information and that similar errors might be found in the work of other academics under intense scrutiny.
Following his death, Arday's family released a statement expressing their shock and grief, calling him a "gentle man" who "always wanted to see the best in everyone." They attributed the intense public attention to his downfall, stating, "The campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason."
Calls have been made for a public inquiry into the media coverage that preceded Arday's death. His memoir is scheduled for publication on Thursday, with his publisher, Simon & Schuster, confirming the release will proceed as planned, a decision supported by his family who stated, "It is only right that we honour his wishes."