Jason Arday ensured he continued to make waves after his death

The world knows about Jason Arday, the MacBeth-like figure who reached for the stars and got burnt in the harsh spotlight of the news media thanks to his fantastic CV which proved to be less than truthful.

Part of his story is his death. Of course I am very sympathetic to his family and like almost all others see his suicide as a tragedy. But without being too cynical I believe that a major reason why he took his own life was to make a statement and continue to have an influence after his death. It is part of his story. 

He knew that if he killed himself there would be uproar in some quarters and he was right because his supporters are now demanding a public enquiry about the so called harassment he endured when alive.

The 'harassment' refers to press reporting including from The Times newspaper which is known for its integrity and accuracy.

This was not and is not harassment but factual, sensitive reporting of the story of a fantasist who reached too far, was too ambitious and found that when he reached the peak of academia he was unqualified to keep the job. Of course he could not keep the job: he was not a true academic. He created this persona. A fake person really.

He was a poor professor. His lectures, according to accounts, were poor and he often turned up late. Probably because he dreaded doing the effing lecture as he could not do it!

I have decided that he came to the grisly and shocking conclusion that the best way he could 'beat' his detractors was to kill himself. He knew that would create waves, big time. And it did.

He wanted to continue to make ripples after his passing. He was successful. Arday was talented but not as an academic. He could have achieved a lot in another line of work. Shame.

He wanted to prove that black men and women can be successful in the ivory towers of top academia. For a while he was on the mountain top. Perhaps that was enough for him.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are often written at breakneck speed, sometimes using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.