Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, a friend and former colleague of Professor Jason Arday, has said the University of Cambridge should press ahead with its investigation into how Arday was appointed and his time teaching at the institution.
Arday, who was found dead on Friday, resigned from his post as professor of sociology of education last week after allegations of plagiarism were made against him. Before his death, the university announced it would investigate the circumstances around his “appointment and tenure”, with findings feeding into a review of the process for appointing senior roles.
It is understood the university does not feel it is right to make a decision on whether to proceed with its investigation while Arday's family are grieving.
Investigation should proceed
Sir Simon, who is also director of the Autism Research Centre, told Times Radio the university should “always be reflecting on how it’s operating and whether it can do better”. He said: “They have announced an investigation, and we should let that proceed. We should see what we learn from it. This is the whole purpose of investigations.”
He added: “When you’re talking about what’s in the public interest, when you’ve got public bodies like universities or, arguably, the media, political institutions, whatever, when we have investigations, it’s all about how can we improve them.”
Sir Simon said Arday's mental health had been left “in tatters” and raised questions about whether the media failed in its duty of care towards him as a vulnerable person with disabilities. He said the professor faced racist abuse and was used as a “lightning rod for a culture war on DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion)”.
Friends speak out
Lord Simon Woolley, principal of Homerton College, Cambridge, and a former mentor of Arday, told BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House programme that his friend felt “hounded to death”. He said: “In a conversation I had with Jason on the Monday – we met on Monday, with a few dear friends – he said he felt hounded to death, his words, that he couldn’t see a way out.”
Lord Woolley added: “On that day, we saw a man half his body weight and desperate beyond belief.” He described the treatment of Arday as “the most horrendous, toxic, vicious witch hunt” and called for an investigation into the “vicious media onslaught”.
“The whole of the black community and black academics have been brought into this debate as though we don’t belong in these positions, because we are collectively the diversity, equity and inclusion hires,” he added.
Tributes and fundraising
A fundraiser for Arday's family, set up by Windrush campaigner Sir Patrick Vernon, has raised more than £60,000. The organisation Stand Up To Racism has announced plans for a vigil for Arday to be held on the steps of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, central London, at 6pm on Monday.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the professor’s death as a “tragedy on so many levels”, adding: “It’s not a moment for any rushing to judgment. It’s a moment for reflection, I would say, reflecting on how things came to this.”
In a statement issued by his publisher Simon & Schuster UK on Friday, Arday's family said he had been subjected to a “campaign of sustained abuse” since he accepted the role of professor at Cambridge. They said: “The campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason, who was a gentle man and who always wanted to see the best in everyone.”
