Senior academics set out key questions Cambridge must answer over Jason Arday’s death

Senior Cambridge academics have criticised the university’s plans to investigate Prof Jason Arday’s death as inadequate, and said those responsible for “serious failures of leadership” should face consequences.

In a letter to Chris Smith, Cambridge’s chancellor, the academics said “it is not yet clear” how the proposed review will answer difficult questions about the university’s involvement in the events leading up to Arday’s death, including its handling of the criticism Arday suffered after his appointment as professor of sociology of education in 2023.

Arday died at his home in London on 14 August, nine days after he resigned amid allegations of plagiarism and inconsistencies in statements about his career.

An inquest will be held to determine the cause of death.

Arday’s family said he was subjected to a campaign of sustained abuse for more than three years.

Now, a letter signed by more than 40 professors, associate professors and fellows raises concern that Cambridge has backed away from initial promises by Deborah Prentice, the university’s vice-chancellor, to carry out a “thorough and transparent” examination of the circumstances that led to Arday’s appointment and treatment.

Rather than reviewing the “lessons learned”, the group wants the investigation to pinpoint the crucial advice given and decisions made during Arday’s hiring and subsequent career.

“The investigation must establish who authorised and directed the university’s public promotion of Professor Arday; what assessment was made of the risks that accompanied it; who authorised any legal or other communications with journalists investigating the story; what the university knew as racist and ableist abuse and media hounding escalated; and how responsibility for Professor Arday’s protection was allocated and exercised across the university,” the letter says.

The signatories included Cahir O’Kane, a professor of genetics; Caroline Bassett, a professor of digital humanities; Clair Wills, the King Edward VII professor of English literature; and Clément Mouhot, a professor of mathematical sciences.

Cambridge last month announced a two-part review, with part one to be led by Nazir Afzal, a former chief crown prosecutor for north-west England, focusing on the support given to Arday immediately before his death.

The university has not yet named a chair for part two of the review, which it said would be “a broader review of institutional processes and practice” and only consider “the wider context” of Arday’s period at Cambridge, including general appraisals of recruitment and support available to academics facing media scrutiny.

The group behind the letter, which was also sent to Cambridge’s governing council, said the “scope and investigative character” of the second part of the review would be crucial in settling the decisions, structures and processes involved.

They wrote: “To this end, it is vital that the university establishes a clear chain of responsibility for the institutional decisions made in the period following Professor Arday’s appointment, through the events leading to his death and the university’s subsequent responses.

“The university should state clearly how responsibility will be acted upon if the review establishes serious failures of leadership or responsibility … Serious findings must have consequences for the individuals and offices responsible.

“At the same time, individual accountability cannot substitute for the institutional changes required where failures arose from structures of decision-making, scrutiny or governance.”

The University of Cambridge was approached for its response to the letter.

Cambridge publicised Arday’s appointment at the age of 37 as the youngest black person ever appointed to a professorship at the university, saying he would “inspire more people from under-represented backgrounds into higher education, building on the university’s many initiatives in this area”.

Arday denied the accusations of plagiarism but on 5 August Cambridge said it would open an investigation into his academic qualifications. Arday resigned hours later.