Professor Jason Arday was found unresponsive by family members days after resigning from his post at the University of Cambridge, an inquest has heard.
The 41-year-old was discovered at his home in Battersea, south London, on 14 August after facing intense scrutiny over accusations of plagiarism.
An inquest at London Inner South Coroner’s Court, which opened on Wednesday, heard that an investigation has been launched into his “unnatural death”.
Senior coroner Dr Julian Morris said: “The various reports have given me reason to suspect that Professor Arday died an unnatural death 12 days ago. It therefore follows that I must open an investigation. I will be setting out further directions for the coroner officer.”
Despite resuscitative efforts, Prof Arday was pronounced dead and the Metropolitan Police said the scene was not suspicious, the inquest was told. He had resigned from his post as professor of sociology of education at the university earlier this month following the plagiarism accusations.
Sir Patrick Vernon, who played a leading role in the successful campaign to establish a national Windrush Day, set up a GoFundMe crowdfunding page following Prof Arday’s death to help support the academic’s family – by yesterday £224,474 had been raised through more than 7,900 donations.
In a message on the page on Tuesday, Prof Arday’s family said: “We are deeply moved by the extraordinary support we have received. The response to this appeal reflects the number of people whose lives were touched by our beloved Jason and the affection, respect and admiration in which he was held.
“Jason devoted his life and career to advancing education, widening participation, tackling race and inequality, and championing autism and neurodiversity. It means a great deal to us that so many people wish to celebrate his life and remember the difference he made to others.
“We are still grieving the loss of our beloved son, partner, father, brother, uncle and friend. We hope you will understand our need for time and space as we come to terms with this devastating loss and consider how best to move forward.”
Accusations of plagiarism were initially made against Prof Arday, who became Cambridge’s youngest Black professor in 2023, by Nathan Cofnas, an academic who has advocated for “race realism”, and who was last week suspended from his post at Ghent University.
The university announced that a preliminary disciplinary investigation had been launched after saying Prof Arday’s death “should prompt reflection”, and adding that the institution “opposes discrimination, hatred and racism”.
Prof Arday’s memoir, Great and Unfortunate Things, is due to be published in the UK on Thursday.
Publisher Simon & Schuster announced on Monday that the book would be released “as planned”, and Prof Arday’s family said: “It is only right that we honour his wishes.”
Last week, organisers said more than 30,000 people had attended a vigil for Prof Arday in Trafalgar Square. Speakers at the event criticised press coverage of Prof Arday, with the veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott saying he had been the subject of a “vicious” and “bitter” campaign by people who did not believe a Black man should be a Cambridge professor, and the crossbench peer Lord Woolley describing his death as a “public execution” and a “lynching”.
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