Cambridge head slams 'racist feeding frenzy' over dead academic

The head of Cambridge University on Monday condemned a “racist feeding frenzy” prompted by plagiarism claims against the black academic Jason Arday. This person was found dead last week after resigning from his post.

After Arday, Cambridge’s youngest-ever black professor, was identified dead on Friday following multiple plagiarism accusations, Chris Smith, the university’s chancellor, informed the BBC he believed it was important that claims of plagiarism were “rigorously investigated”.

But Smith noted it was also right to “refuse to join in a racist feeding frenzy over a particular academic”, without naming Arday directly.

Arday resigned on Aug 5 after accusations he had plagiarised parts of his doctoral thesis were covered widely by media.

The 41-year-old academic stated he had “reached the limits of what any person should reasonably be expected to endure”.

On Friday, Arday was found dead at home in London, which Prime Minister Andy Burnham, a Cambridge alumnus, called “a tragedy on so many levels”.

Arday’s family have blamed a “misinformation campaign”.

An online fundraising page for Arday’s family had raised over £146,000 ($198,000) on Monday morning.

A petition demanding a public inquiry into the media coverage of Arday had gathered almost 32,400 signatures on Monday.

The group Stand Up To Racism was set to hold one vigil on London’s Trafalgar Square on Monday evening and another in Cambridge.

The university was additionally facing mounting questions over its handling of the allegations and treatment of Arday.

James Cleverly, a right-wing opposition MP whose mother was born in Sierra Leone, told the BBC on Monday that “quite possibly” some scrutiny of Arday was motivated by racism.

But the situation would “never have come this far if people within the university establishment — not just Cambridge — had done the robust due diligence and checking that should happen with any senior academic appointment”, he noted.

Last week, prior to the announcement of Arday’s death, Cambridge’s vice-chancellor Deborah Prentice announced an investigation into the circumstances of his appointment and his time working at the university.