The authoritarian response to Jason Arday’s tragic death

In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces here. A tragic and important story is unfoldi

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Jason at his PhD ceremony (Liverpool John Moores) in 2016 University of Cambridge, Faculty of Education Jason Arday’s death at 41 came only days after his resignation from the University of Cambridge. He had been facing intense scrutiny of his academic record and allegations of plagiarism. Arday’s story had also be

In 2023, Jason Arday was celebrated as the youngest black professor ever hired by England’s Cambridge University. Three years later, he stood accused of plagiarism, shoddy scholarship, incomprehensible writing, and poor teaching. Sadly, between the time this article was written and its publication, Arday died, apparent