Tributes have been paid to Jason Arday, the former Cambridge professor, after he was found dead at an address in Battersea, south London, on Friday afternoon.
In a statement issued by his publisher Simon & Schuster UK, Arday’s family said they were “in shock to have lost this amazing father, partner, brother, uncle and son”.
They said a “campaign of misinformation” had been too much for him.
Arday, 41, resigned as a Cambridge professor of sociology of education last week after allegations of plagiarism and questions about some of his achievements. He had denied the claims.
The University of Cambridge vice-chancellor Prof Deborah Prentice led the tributes, saying the faculty was “desperately saddened” to learn of his death.
“Our heartfelt sympathies go to Jason Arday’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.”
Education Secretary Lucy Powell said she was “deeply shocked and saddened” to hear about the death and she urged people to “remember there are real people with loved ones involved”.
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan is among those who have said Arday was subjected to unrelenting media scrutiny.
He said Arday had faced “an unacceptable public hounding and campaign of abuse”, adding that he was a victim of “a pernicious public shaming that other people in his position simply wouldn’t have faced”.
“His death was a tragedy, but once again it should be a wake up call for all of us,” he posted on X.
Jo Grady, General secretary of the University and College Union said the “level of harassment he suffered and the racism he was subjected to has been sickening” and “must be investigated”.
Lord Paul Boateng, who became the UK’s first black cabinet minister in 2002 when he was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury under Tony Blair, told BBC Newsnight he was ” horrified, shocked and deeply saddened”.
“Racism in academia is a fact of life and needs to be addressed,” he added in a written statement.
In a statement on Saturday, National Education Union (NEU) general secretary Daniel Kebede said Arday had been subjected to “a public and brutal takedown that unleashed a tirade of racism”.
“The effect has been chilling. It tells black people and others from underrepresented backgrounds that entering prominent public positions will make you a target,” he said.
Director of the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge, Prof Simon Baron-Cohen told the Today programme Arday had been “bombarded by every media outlet to paint him as a fraud”.
“He was an incredibly, kind and gentle and caring man,” he said.
He spoke to Arday the morning of his death, and said the academic had felt unable to leave the house.
“He has experienced what he described as a campaign against him, for the last three years,” he previously told BBC News.
“What he was saying to me was ‘they’ve destroyed my life’ – it’s not clear who they were but I think he was referring to the media.”
“The personal attacks on him have been so immense.
“This isn’t to point fingers, and its not a single media outlet, but in the last few weeks since he resigned, I must have received a hundred new requests – to comment on his life.”
