# Is anyone else following this bizarre Jason Arday story out of Cambridge University? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 11, 2026, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289 "2026-08-11T02:18:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2026, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289/301 "2026-08-22T21:28:38Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > We have a racist guy who went after the guy for racist reasons Before the racist guy went after him, Arday successfully silenced other people who intended to report on him by using lawyers and the police against them. The racist guy wasn’t the only one investigating Arday, he was just the only one not intimidated by Arday. > **[In a desperate bid to avoid scrutiny, Professor Arday tried to use the police...](https://freespeechunion.org/news/in-a-desperate-bid-to-avoid-scrutiny-professor-arday-tried-to-use-the)** > > The Met Police investigated a journalist for four months after Professor Jason Arday reported him for asking legitimate questions. Lord Young of Acton has written to Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley demanding answers. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2026, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289/302 "2026-08-22T22:49:27Z")
I guess we are going to another 30 posts arguing about whether shit sources should be ignored or we need to filter through the shit to find the pearls of wisdom. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2026, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289/303 "2026-08-22T23:06:03Z")
If you don’t like that source, does this one meet your approval? > **[I was reported to police over the Arday case. I was just doing my job](https://www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/i-was-reported-police-over-arday-case-i-was-just-doing-my-job)** > > My investigation into alleged plagiarism was undertaken seriously – journalistic enquiries should not be a matter for Scotland Yard, writes THE reporter Jack Grove ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2026, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289/304 "2026-08-23T00:02:20Z")
It would help to focus on a single instance of lying about his past. What’s the most unambiguous example of a lie he told, and what’s the strongest evidence that it’s a lie? I don’t really know what to believe at this point. ---
**Author:** ![3AxisCtrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/ecd19e/32.png) [@3AxisCtrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3AxisCtrl)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2026, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289/305 "2026-08-23T01:05:12Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > What’s the most unambiguous example of a lie he told, and what’s the strongest evidence that it’s a lie? It seems clear he lied about past affiliation with various universities. > From the [Wiki article on Jason Arday](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Arday): > Arday claimed to have completed a master’s degree in [psychodynamic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychodynamics "Psychodynamics") practice at [Birkbeck, University of London](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birkbeck,_University_of_London "Birkbeck, University of London"), and became a fully qualified counsellor afterwards. Birkbeck said it had no record of him studying there. The University of Glasgow and [Ohio State University](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio_State_University "Ohio State University") refuted Arday’s claims that he had held [visiting professorship](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visiting_scholar "Visiting scholar") roles at those institutions. [Nelson Mandela University](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela_University "Nelson Mandela University") stated that he had been only a temporary [adjunct professor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adjunct_professor "Adjunct professor") prior to November 2025, and not a [visiting professor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visiting_professor "Visiting professor") as claimed. Here’s a link mentioning [Glasgow University’s specific denial](https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/26433564.glasgow-university-denies-jason-arday-visiting-prof-claim/) of his claim. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2026, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289/306 "2026-08-23T01:10:46Z")
Is there evidence that isn’t paywalled? ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2026, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289/307 "2026-08-23T01:23:39Z")
> [@3AxisCtrl](#): > > Arday claimed to have completed a master’s degree in [psychodynamic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychodynamics "Psychodynamics") practice at [Birkbeck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birkbeck,_University_of_London "Birkbeck, University of London") That sure sounds like some authentic frontier gibberish anyway, it’s more like he was a con artist. He should have stuck around, he could have relentlessly skewered all these assholes relentlessly. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2026, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289/308 "2026-08-23T01:31:21Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Is there evidence that isn’t paywalled? There’s a transcript in this [Reddit thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/GlasgowUni/comments/1veqj8t/glasgow_university_denies_jason_arday_visiting/). But based on evidence therein it seems he did have some sort of position there, just maybe not with the specific status of ‘Visiting Professor’. So possibly it’s just puffery - an exaggerated resume based on a previous real position. Like calling yourself a “manager” when you were actually an assistant shift manager. In that short thread someone turned up this [University of Glasgow lecture posting from 2025](https://www.gla.ac.uk/events/listings/index.html/event/14323) that lists among other accomplishments ‘Professor Arday has previously held the position of Professor of Sociology of Education at the University of Glasgow, School of Education’. So…I dunno. Hairsplitting by UofG trying to disassociate themselves from scandal? Puffery by Arday inflating a lesser staff position on a resume into a more prestigious one? Just more confusion? Little of all of the above? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2026, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289/309 "2026-08-23T05:11:46Z")
A lot of science misconduct has been uncovered by sleuths posting online, including on sites like [PubPeer](https://pubpeer.com). Image manipulation, data fabrication, statistical hanky-panky and ethics violations are among the misconduct that’s been found, leading to journal article retractions and other penalties for bad acts that have contaminated the scientific literature. [Plagiarism](https://originalityreport.com/plagiarism-cases-in-research/) has been associated with other forms of research misconduct. Given the remarkably casual attitudes of academics and others making excuses for Arday, (arguing that any plagiarism he committed was minor or not actually plagiarism at all, and that they don’t discipline students turning in papers with copying that they consider only insufficient attribution), systemic problems may well be greater than what’s already been publicized. One positive to emerge from the Arday affair would be an expanded role for amateur sleuths detecting plagiarism in non-science journal articles, using plagiarism detection software and exchanging information on a site comparable to PubPeer. The results are likely to provide lots of fodder for [Retraction Watch](https://retractionwatch.com). ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2026, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289/310 "2026-08-23T05:25:13Z")
Has this been mentioned yet? [https://www.reuters.com/world/academic-who-raised-concerns-over-jason-arday-suspended-by-ghent-university-2026-08-20/](https://www.reuters.com/world/academic-who-raised-concerns-over-jason-arday-suspended-by-ghent-university-2026-08-20/) See also: > **[Statement on respect for human dignity and opposition to discrimination](https://www.ugent.be/en/news-events/statement-respect-human-dignity-opposition-discrimination.htm)** > > Over the past few days, Ghent University has received many enquiries following the death of Cambridge professor Jason Arday and the public reactions to it. ---
**Author:** ![Frilly\_Heck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/90ced4/32.png) [@Frilly\_Heck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frilly_Heck)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2026, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289/311 "2026-08-23T17:56:10Z")
Here’s a thread on Bluesky with more evidence and details about Arday’s marathons. She managed to find his old wordpress blog about it using the internet archive. > **[Emma Monk (@monkemma.bsky.social)](https://blacksky.community/profile/did:plc:uxg2d3knt2sk5f52binuyuow/post/3mto5wnd5i22z)** > > One of the first "outrageous" claims I saw as Jason Arday's media hounding unfolded was that he ran 30 marathons in 35 days! > > Wow! > > What a thing to claim! > > And the newspapers all suggested there was no evidence he actually did it. > > Well, they... ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289/312 "2026-08-24T14:59:19Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Given the remarkably casual attitudes of academics and others making excuses for Arday, (arguing that any plagiarism he committed was minor or not actually plagiarism at all, and that they don’t discipline students turning in papers with copying that they consider only insufficient attribution), systemic problems may well be greater than what’s already been publicized. I’m not an academic, but in today’s publish or perish pressure-cooker, I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of them plagiarize, and therefore a lot of them probably defend this behavior so nobody calls them out of their own. Assuming it’s true that this behavior has been defended. I haven’t been following the news about it beyond the Atlantic and this thread. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289/313 "2026-08-24T21:02:26Z")
@Darren_Garrison In no way does anything you posted contradict anything I said. If there are other reports not stemming from this racist guy, then they have no relevance to my point or the fallacious argument by Velocity that I was refuting. Information that comes from reputable non-racist journalists is fair game. This seems to have been primarily about claims of plagiarism (though he did apparently contact him asking for evidence that he ran the marathons). What I notice is that the plagiarism allegations are the ones that aren’t really being disputed. At most there’s discussion about the degree of the plagiarism. It’s the fabrication and embellishment of his resume that seems disputable. ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289/314 "2026-08-24T21:13:55Z")
There’s a short blurb with a single picture and 1/26. How do you view the other 25 pages? ---
**Author:** ![Frilly\_Heck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/90ced4/32.png) [@Frilly\_Heck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frilly_Heck)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289/315 "2026-08-24T22:53:45Z")
Here, try this instead: > **[Emma Monk (@monkemma.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/monkemma.bsky.social/post/3mto5wnd5i22z)** > > One of the first "outrageous" claims I saw as Jason Arday's media hounding unfolded was that he ran 30 marathons in 35 days! > > Wow! > > What a thing to claim! > > And the newspapers all suggested there was no evidence he actually did it. > > Well, they... ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289/316 "2026-08-24T22:54:37Z")
That just links to a picture of a butterfly Edit: never mind, just loaded. It’s the same short post. Edit 2: sorry I see the posts below are different. ---
**Author:** ![Frilly\_Heck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/90ced4/32.png) [@Frilly\_Heck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frilly_Heck)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289/317 "2026-08-24T22:57:19Z")
Well, I don’t know how to link it properly, then. I know the same person posted the same thread on both X and BlueSky, so if you want to see it, you can open one of those and search for Emma Monk to find the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289/318 "2026-08-25T02:54:17Z")
> [@colinfred](#): > > That just links to a picture of a butterfly No one ever suspects the butterfly. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289/319 "2026-08-25T13:11:24Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > You’re absolutely right that journalists should, therefore, do serious research into what was and wasn’t true. He claimed to be nonverbal as a child; that seems to be false. He claimed exceptional athleticism; that seems to be true. Lazy credulousness makes everything true; lazy reporting makes everything a lie. But the truth matters, and it’s in between. The standard thing journalists do is research a story and if it appears that someone has done something, put that allegation to the person to give them a chance to give their side of the story. A Times Higher Education Supplement (that well known tabloid trash) journalist did this and Arday filled him in with references to his schoolteachers, family, therapists, running partners, etc. who all backed his story. Oh wait, I got that wrong - easy mistake to make - actually his response was to appoint defamation lawyers who sent a threatening letter, and threaten to make a racism complaint against the journalist. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289/320 "2026-08-25T20:54:07Z")
Peter Carter-Ruck was a long time specialist in libel and defamation generally who crossed swords with many papers and journalists over the years (_Private Eye_ invariably referred to him as Carter-Fuck, much to his irritation). He died in 2003 but the partnership he founds continues in that line of law. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-following-this-bizarre-jason-arday-story-out-of-cambridge-university/1032289.md?page=15)