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Jason Arday: Cambridge sweep it under the carpet, again

6 replies

Angeruish · 25/09/2026 20:02

AIBU to be really angry about the powers that be at Cambridge University trying to sweep any blame for the appointment of the late Jason Arday under the carpet.

The New York Times is reporting, together with a few other outlets none of them mainstream UK media, that the university has abandoned plans to fully investigate the hiring.

So, instead of looking at whether he was a plagiarist and fabulist (spoiler alert: he was) they are going to focus on whether Arday was offered sufficient support when his utterly implausible story started to unravel.

Over the summer Vice-Chancellor Deborah Prentice sought to douse the flames with the promise of a "thorough and transparent" investigation into the appointment, but the scope of the investigation has apparently been narrowed.

So now we are going to get something that is "about his welfare, his care, his well-being" (the words of Nazir Afzal, a former prosecutor who is now chancellor at Manchester).

How all very empathetic and lovey-dovey of them.

The blame for all of this lies, as well as with Arday himself, with the people who so willingly sucked up all of his nonsense and gave a PE teacher a full chair. None of whom will now pay the price.

Grrrrr....

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Supersimkin7 · Yesterday 19:35

The other two candidates were women (of colour) who were both more than capable of the Professorship.

I hope one gets offered the job now, tho I’m not sure if I’d accept it.

TheLarch · 25/09/2026 20:59

Cambridge have about a phone book's length of things they need to look into. James Orr inviting students to live at his home would be a top one for me, as it directly contravenes their safeguarding rules.

EverMerge · 25/09/2026 20:51

ExtraOnions · 25/09/2026 20:06

What has it got to do with you? are you a student, staff member, or member of Senior Leadership?

Let the guy Rest in Peace, he was hounded by enough curtain twitchers when he was alive.

What Cambridge choose to do, or change, in their hiring processes are an internal matter for the University.

That would mean people can no longer comment on anything in the news with your criteria. You can argue in his favour but the op is correct. He should not have been hired.

Supersimkin7 · 25/09/2026 20:26

Cambridge are being awful. They need to take the hit on this one or lose any remaining respect.

Racism accusations about others don’t cover all the issues.

HareBrewery · 25/09/2026 20:08

Are the students still pursuing legal action against the university?

They won't investigate because they carry a liability for the situation. It will all depend on whether the students take further action as to whether there is any accountability.

ExtraOnions · 25/09/2026 20:06

What has it got to do with you? are you a student, staff member, or member of Senior Leadership?

Let the guy Rest in Peace, he was hounded by enough curtain twitchers when he was alive.

What Cambridge choose to do, or change, in their hiring processes are an internal matter for the University.

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