Cambridge University’s youngest-ever Black professor was discovered dead at his London home on Friday. Jason Arday, 41, who became a professor of sociology of education in 2023 at the age of 37, resigned from the university last week amid an investigation into plagiarism allegations.

London police responded to a report of a man found unresponsive at his residence on Friday afternoon and pronounced him dead at the scene. His next of kin have been notified and are being supported by officers. Authorities described his death as “unexpected” but not “suspicious.”

Arday faced accusations that he lifted more than 100 passages from another academic’s dissertation, specifically that of Brunel University student Paula Zwozdiak-Myers. An analysis later revealed significant similarities between Arday’s doctoral work and Zwozdiak-Myers’ thesis. Additionally, he was accused of falsely claiming to have held positions at Ohio State University, the University of Glasgow, and Durham University on his official Cambridge profile.

Arday, who described himself as autistic, epileptic, and a former professional soccer player, had admitted to errors in his academic work but insisted he was not “a liar and fantasist.” He also faced scrutiny over claims about personal accomplishments, including alleged feats such as running 30 marathons in 35 days. Arday, who became Cambridge’s youngest Black professor at age 37, stated he had autism spectrum disorder and was nonverbal until age 11.

Cambridge University initially defended Arday, stating he was a victim of a “vile campaign to undermine his credibility,” before launching an investigation into the allegations. The university has not yet commented on the circumstances surrounding his death.