Cambridge University professor resigns after major plagiarism accusations prompt investigation
University of Cambridge sociology professor Jason Arday resigned Wednesday after the university announced an investigation into his academic qualifications and honorary appointments amid plagiarism accusations, with one accuser telling Fox that Arday had been hired to be the "face of DEI."
Accusations against Arday surfaced last month from former Cambridge philosophy researcher Nathan Cofnas, who published a Substack article alleging that Arday was a known "plagiarist and fabulist" for more than a year, and much of his personal biography was questionable.
"I am disappointed that Jason Arday resigned. He was hired by Cambridge to be the face of DEI, and he was doing a great job," Cofnas told Fox News Digital.
Cofnas first expressed doubt about Arday's background after the educator said he had been nonverbal until age eleven and practically illiterate until 18 while still being able to get a Ph.D in 2015 and become the youngest Black professor at Cambridge University in 2023.
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Using the plagiarism-detection program, Copyleaks, Cofnas said he found several examples of Arday directly lifting materials from a 2009 dissertation without proper citation and sometimes even retaining copy-editing mistakes. Other earlier papers written by Arday were also issued corrections to add more citations, which Cofnas characterized as an admission of plagiarism.
From his research, Cofnas accused the university of hiring Arday to push diversity politics and has since been attempting to cover up plagiarism accusations to protect him from scrutiny.
"When you take away the work that is plagiarized or not otherwise written by Arday, there is essentially nothing resembling real scholarship," Cofnas wrote. "There is no indication that Arday is familiar with even elementary statistics. His research involves reporting his own experiences of alleged racism or having conversations with people and providing subjective commentary."
Arday's appointment in 2023 received massive media attention, with much of it celebrating it as a landmark moment.
Other media outlets and academics began reporting on the accusations, however, such as the Telegraph, the Guardian and the Times of London. Cambridge University initially stood by Arday in a statement on Sunday, saying Arday had already been investigated by Liverpool John Moores University and other journals for plagiarism. However, by Wednesday, Cambridge announced it was reversing course.
"The University of Cambridge has begun an investigation following new information about Professor Arday’s academic qualifications and honorary appointments. In order to ensure a fair process, we will not comment further until this has concluded," the statement read.
Shortly after the statement was released, Arday released his own statement through the Good Law Project announcing that he was resigning with "immediate effect," noting "public scrutiny" as a factor.
"Sadly, the years since my appointment have also been marked by an unrelenting level of public scrutiny and personal attack. While criticism is an inevitable part of academic life, what I have experienced has gone far beyond scholarly disagreement. The relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love," Arday wrote.
He continued, "I have tried to continue because I believe deeply in the values of higher education, in rigorous scholarship, and in the transformative power of universities. I have tried because of my students, my colleagues and the countless people who have written to tell me that my journey gave them hope. But there comes a point when the personal cost becomes too great."
Fox News Digital reached out to Cambridge University and Arday for comment.
Cofnas added to Fox News Digital, "However, given that he is gone, a number of people have suggested that his professorship should be given to me. If the Cambridge administration could arrange this, it would go a long way toward restoring trust in higher education."
Cofnas was ousted from Cambridge in 2024 amid criticism of his writing that Blacks would almost completely "disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment" in a world of full meritocracy.