Cambridge chancellor condemns racist backlash surrounding late professor Jason Arday

Lord Chris Smith, chancellor of Cambridge University, publicly rebuked the “racist feeding frenzy” that surrounded the late Jason Arday, a sociology professor who stepped down after plagiarism allegations and was found dead in Battersea. Smith asserted that safeguarding academic standards and conducting meticulous plagiarism inquiries are compatible, and that the discourse should not devolve into racial attacks. A petition organized by the Good Law Project, signed by more than 30,000 people including Diane Abbott and Jameela Jamil, calls for a formal review of the media’s handling of the case.

Cambridge initially cited an investigation by Liverpool John Moores University, which cleared Arday, yet later announced an independent probe into his appointment. Government minister Sir James Cleverly expressed anger, blaming insufficient due-diligence across universities and suggesting the coverage was partly driven by racism. Vigils have been held in London and Cambridge, organized by Stand Up To Racism and Arday’s postdoctoral students.