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UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham called on Saturday for \u200creflection following the death of a Black academic, Jason Arday, accused of plagiarism in a case that has prompted criticism of the University of Cambridge and the media.<\/strong><\/p>\n Jason Arday, a sociology professor who frequently appeared in British media, was found dead on Friday aged 41, \u200bdays after resigning from the university. Police said his death was unexpected but was not being \u200btreated as suspicious.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a tragedy on so many levels, but particularly \u2026 for everybody who \u2060knew Jason, his family obviously, his friends,\u201d Burnham told broadcasters.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a moment for any rushing to \u200bjudgement. It\u2019s a moment for reflection, I would say, reflecting on how things came to this.\u201d<\/p>\n Arday resigned on \u200bAugust 5 after a former Cambridge researcher accused him of plagiarism in his PhD thesis. He denied the allegation but acknowledged making mistakes.<\/p>\n CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY UNDER FIRE<\/strong><\/p>\n Arday\u2019s accounts of his childhood struggles with autism and his sporting achievements \u2014 including a claim to have \u200brun 30 marathons in 35 days \u2014 have also been challenged.<\/p>\n His family said on Friday that he had \u200bbeen the victim of misinformation and harassment.<\/p>\n Cambridge University pledged this week, before Arday\u2019s death, to investigate the circumstances of his appointment \u200cand \u2060his academic work.<\/p>\n The case has fuelled debate over the university\u2019s handling of the allegations. Some critics have argued it was so keen to hire a Black academic that it failed to check Arday\u2019s credentials sufficiently and did not respond appropriately when the plagiarism claims emerged.<\/p>\n \u201cThe unthinking culture warriors who have supported (Arday) unconditionally share responsibility \u200bwith his racist critics for \u200bmaking life harder for \u2060Black academics and dragging UK higher education deeper into the mire,\u201d Paul Gilroy, a University of London sociology professor, was quoted as saying by the Guardian newspaper \u200bon August 8.<\/p>\n Simon Baron-Cohen, a Cambridge professor and supporter of Arday, said Arday \u200bhad spoken to \u2060him hours before his death about his distress over media coverage and criticism on social media.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was being subjected to relentless scrutiny, including ridicule, discrediting absolutely every detail of his life,\u201d Baron-Cohen told BBC radio on Saturday. \u201cAnd he \u2060wasn\u2019t \u200bcoping with the loss of his career, the loss of his \u200breputation, and he felt he couldn\u2019t go on.\u201d<\/p>\n Arday, as a vulnerable person since childhood, deserved safeguarding and support, he said, adding investigations into \u200bthe case should assign accountability \u201cat lots of levels\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n