STORY
Calls for a public inquiry into the treatment of former Cambridge professor Jason Arday have intensified following his death, with more than 98,000 people signing a petition seeking an investigation into the role of the media. Downing Street has not ruled out an inquiry but has said that decisions should not be made while the usual processes following an unexpected death, including any inquest, are still to take place. Arday, 41, was found dead at an address in Battersea on Friday, with police saying his death was unexpected but was not being treated as suspicious.
The growing calls followed a large vigil in Trafalgar Square on Monday evening, which organisers estimated was attended by more than 30,000 people. MPs, friends, academics and campaigners paid tribute to Arday and raised concerns about the intensity of the scrutiny he faced before his death. His family said he had experienced public cruelty and asked that he be remembered for his life and achievements. Cambridge Chancellor Chris Smith has separately defended the importance of investigating allegations concerning academic integrity while criticising what he described as a racially charged media reaction to Arday.
Arday resigned earlier this month as Professor of Sociology of Education at the University of Cambridge following allegations concerning plagiarism in his PhD thesis and questions about statements relating to other achievements. He rejected allegations of deliberate dishonesty while acknowledging mistakes in his academic work. Cambridge had announced an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his appointment and tenure, although it is understood that the university has not yet decided whether that work should continue while his family is grieving. The controversy following his death has widened into a debate about press standards, academic accountability, race and the duty of care owed by institutions to people subjected to intense public scrutiny.