Cambridge professor at center of plagiarism furore quits

LONDON, United Kingdom —A University of Cambridge professor engulfed in a high-profile plagiarism scandal resigned from his posts Wednesday, shortly after the prestigious British institution announced an investigation into the various allegations against him.

Jason Arday — who made headlines when the university appointed him as its youngest Black professor in 2023 — has faced mounting claims that he plagiarized parts of his Ph.D. dissertation.

Questions also emerged about some of his stated achievements, with Arday and his defenders claiming racism has motivated parts of the scrutiny.

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In a letter posted online, he said quitting was “the only way” to end a “difficult period,” but insisted the decision should not be “mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me.”

“It is simply the decision of someone who has reached the limits of what any person should reasonably be expected to endure,” he wrote.

Arday said he was resigning from his positions as a Cambridge professor of sociology of education and a fellow at the university’s Jesus College, effective immediately.

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It came just hours after Cambridge announced it had “begun an investigation following new information about Professor Arday’s academic qualifications and honorary appointments.”

“Separately, there remain (sic) a number of ongoing complaints regarding academic misconduct, which are being handled in line with our misconduct in research policy,” it added.

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The university had robustly defended Arday in June, claiming “a vile campaign to undermine his credibility” and insisting plagiarism allegations regarding his “dissertation and journal publications” had been investigated and dismissed by “the relevant institution” and journals.

It did not specify on Wednesday what new information had prompted its investigation, while Jesus College said separately that it was launching its own investigation.

Open letter

Nathan Cofnas, a U.S. academic and self-described “race realist” whose Cambridge research affiliation ended in 2024 amid racism allegations, has claimed multiple sections of Arday’s doctoral dissertation were copied from other works.

Some of Arday’s claims about his personal life, including that he once ran 30 marathons in 35 days and raised millions for charities, have also been disputed.

In an interview with The Times last Saturday, Arday admitted making academic “mistakes” but said he was being wrongly “portrayed to be a liar and a fantasist and an academic fraud.”

He also alleged the “campaign to unseat me from my position” was “racially motivated.”

The scandal has been seized upon by right-wing newspapers and commentators, who have labeled Arday a “poster boy” for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies.

An open letter supporting him and alleging “an attempt to undermine Black people who hold positions of influence” has gathered more than 15,000 signatures, including prominent Black academics and Cambridge leaders.

Earlier Wednesday, Simon & Schuster — whose U.K. publishing arm is set to release his memoir, Great and Unfortunate Things, this month — said it was “proud to publish” his story.

Diagnosed with autism, Arday says he was nonverbal until age 11 and learned to read and write only at 18, before becoming a Cambridge professor at age 37.

The publisher noted that “no allegations of plagiarism have been made with respect to” the memoir.

In his statement, Arday insisted “this is not the end of my work” and that he needed “time to heal … and be myself again.”

“I will return,” he vowed.