This is the end of a sad story, and of a life. The BBC (click screenshot below) announced that former Cambridge sociology professor Jason Arday was found dead:
Jason Arday, the former University of Cambridge professor at the centre of a plagiarism row, has been found dead.
Emergency services said a man was found “unresponsive” at an address in Battersea, south London, on Friday afternoon.
Metropolitan Police officers were called by the London Ambulance Service. A 41-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene and his next of kin have been informed, the force said.
Arday resigned as a Cambridge professor of sociology of education last week after allegations of plagiarism and questions about some of his achievements. He had denied the claims.
In a statement, the Met Police said: “At this time his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious.”
Cambridge University vice-chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice said: “We are desperately saddened to hear this tragic news”.
“Our heartfelt sympathies go to Jason Arday’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time”, she said.
The rest you already know—the revelation of the unbelievable assertions he made about his life that led to his resignation from the University of Cambridge, with ongoing academic and journalistic investigations.
This is almost surely a suicide, with Arday deciding he no longer wanted to live in the face of humiliation now and more to come..
It is very sad, and I suspect that he could have cobbled together some kind of existence had he lived. But it is not for us to decide whose life is or is not worth living.
RIP, Dr. Arday
OMG!
The entire episode is sad. Arday flew too close to the sun. I expect neither accountability nor reflection from those who furnished him the faulty wings.
I was hesitating between seeing him as a cynical, even a talented grifter, exploiting a vulnerability of a great or at least formerly great institution, and thinking him just the poor dupe of his own self-deception, abetted by that formerly great institution. I believe now it was the latter. Very sad.
How sad. the whole thing is sad. Lots of people and institutions should feel guilty.
Horrendous.
Utterly tragic.
Wow. A very sad and probably preventable ending to this story.
R.I.P.
A tragic end to this story. I hope that Cambridge was at least offering him support given the role that they have played in it.
Not entirely surprising, and possibly an example of ‘revenge suicide.’ One hopes that no mob will now go after Cofnas et al who exposed him.
It seems a pretty fair bet that the exposers will be subject to something, whatever it is. unfortunately.
A terrible end to a terrible ordeal. I put the bulk of the blame on Cambridge University.
Yes, tragic and sad.