Professor Jason Arday was found dead at his home in Battersea, south-west London, on Friday.
The academic, who was the youngest black person to be appointed to a professorship at Cambridge University, had recently been the subject of detailed media coverage by outlets including the BBC and The Guardian regarding his qualifications.
He had served as Professor of Sociology of Education at the university, but faced scrutiny after multiple institutions disputed claims on his curriculum vitae.
Academic discrepancies
Before his death, allegations emerged regarding several holes in his professional and personal history.
Ohio State University and the University of Glasgow both denied claims that he had held academic positions at their institutions, while Birkbeck could find no record of a Master's degree he claimed to possess.
Questions were also raised over an earlier biography that was never published and a claim that he had run 30 marathons in 35 days.
Claims about his early life were disputed by several of his school friends, who contested his assertion that he was non-verbal until the age of 11. One former classmate remembered him as a "chatty patty".
Furthermore, his claim to have taken part in the television series 7 Up was found to be impossible given his age.
Disputed claims
Police stated that a racist incident involving a pig's head, which Arday claimed had occurred, never took place.
Another claim that he had personally raised £5 million for charity was found to be part of a collective fundraising initiative that involved more than 100 people.
Following the announcement of his death, Member of Parliament and former Home Secretary James Cleverly posted on X: "Even the most casual observer could see he was a vulnerable fantasist."
Cleverly added: "A number of people at a number of academic institutions have serious questions to answer. They put him into positions he was clearly not qualified for so they could have a black wunderkind to show off, they pushed him into the spotlight for their own benefit. His exposure was inevitable, a case of when, not if."
Online reaction
Some commentators suggested his race played a role in the scrutiny he faced. Shortly after Arday's death was announced, author and commentator Nels Abbey wrote on X: "White supremacy killed Jason Arday. Murdered him."
British actor and director Noel Clarke, who last year lost a libel case against The Guardian after it published a series of #MeToo allegations against him, posted a picture of Arday on X with the caption: "They did it again."
The Good Law Project previously published an open letter concerning the academic, which was signed by senior academics and politicians including Zack Polanski, Clive Lewis, John McDonnell and Apsana Begum.
The letter accused the "Right-wing media" of attempting to "smear Professor Arday's reputation and undermine his career."
The statement added that the situation "should concern everyone who believes in academic freedom, fairness and due process," and concluded that the story was a plot to "undermine black people who hold positions of influence."
