Burnham Urges Reflection After Accused Scholar's Death

Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged the UK on Saturday to pause and contemplate the death of Jason Arday, a Black Cambridge sociologist who had been under intense scrutiny over plagiarism accusations and questions about his achievements. Arday, 41, was found dead on Friday, days after resigning from the university; police say the death is not being treated as suspicious. "It's not a moment for any rushing to judgment. It's a moment for reflection," Burnham said, reports Reuters. He called the death "a tragedy on so many levels." An outcry has followed that the allegations were magnified into a cruel public takedown motivated by racism and hostility to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies at universities and other institutions, per the AP.

Arday had denied allegations that he plagiarized parts of his PhD thesis, while acknowledging mistakes. His family said he was targeted by a campaign of misinformation and harassment. Cambridge announced an inquiry after criticism that it failed to rigorously vet Arday and then mishandled the complaints. A colleague, Simon Baron-Cohen, said Arday told him hours before his death that he was struggling with relentless media and social media scrutiny and the loss of his reputation and career. He said Arday had left him a voicemail Friday saying he "felt he couldn't go on."