Gransnet forums

News & politics

Professor Jason Arday - plagiarism etc

(359 Posts)
Primrose53 Tue 04-Aug-26 22:15:36

Yet another seemingly Walter Mitty character but this guy has gone far seemingly unchallenged …… until now.

Reminds me of The Emperor’s New Clothes story. šŸ˜‰
His claims are absolutely laughable.

The story is in all the newspapers and channels but am linking Wiki as whichever link is added, some people will ridicule it.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Arday

Wyllow3 Thu 06-Aug-26 09:24:47

I think this is disrupting the flow of conversation. May I suggest either report me to the moderators or allow the flow of conversation on the topic to continue.

Lathyrus3 Thu 06-Aug-26 09:17:16

false

Lathyrus3 Thu 06-Aug-26 09:17:03

I m waiting for the retraction of the raise accusation against David Latchman.

I think we’ll both be waiting a long time😬

Primrose53 Thu 06-Aug-26 09:12:20

Primrose53

Wyllow3

I don't consider my post offensive, but I am open to you reporting it Primrose. (Truly).

If we read what Lemonjam is reporting and the still needed disintangements, then there is a "lot more to the story"

It is offensive because you are targeting me as the OP and accusing me of saying things I did not say. It was not intended to ā€œmock or demeanā€ as you accuse me of.

I repeat, an apology would be in order.

Still waiting. šŸ˜‰

Wyllow3 Thu 06-Aug-26 09:04:48

edit a typo "quite severely not quite several" I had to make the decision as in being the gatekeeper whether it was possible. One got complaints from other class members sometimes for quite trivial matters, like not liking another person!

Wyllow3 Thu 06-Aug-26 09:01:16

Granny Gravy Sigh. I wasn't trying to negate your experiences, my DGS age 14 is mildly autistic but fits into mainstream education well enough.

I have worked in the education field as a Community Education Officer and assessments with others whether it was possible for some people in a home for quite several autistic adults, could actually manage the general classes:

My DiL is a children's speech therapist who works solely with autistic children.

The ones she sees have no language and cannot maintain eye contact more than fleetingly nor ever be touched, and her job is to find the bridge into speech so they can at least communicate need. Whether they can then go on to understand "self and other" clearly is uncertain.

I am no more a psychologist than others with relevant experiences who have commented here and do not claim to be, just drawing on the experiences that I do have.

GrannyGravy13 Thu 06-Aug-26 08:55:30

Iam64 I agree.

I am out for the day now, will return later.

GrannyGravy13 Thu 06-Aug-26 08:54:08

Wyllow3 please do not try to explain neurodiversity to me.

Unless of course you are a psychologist or expert in the subject. Then I will consider your post.

Iam64 Thu 06-Aug-26 08:50:02

GrannyGravy13

Wyllow3 I cannot agree with you when you say ^Academia is not a nice place^

Like GrannyGravy, we have academics and people diagnosed as on the autistic spectrum in our family. We also have family members with other neurodiversity issues.

Being on the spectrum, dyslexic, adhd or more does not lead people into fantasising their achievements or life story as this man appears to have done. Underlying personality problems are likely to be relevant.

Academia - not a nice place to be is a sweeping personal view, fine to express it but doesn’t make it true

M0nica Thu 06-Aug-26 08:44:31

David49

Like many activists Arday is Autistic he is also dyslexic and had development delay, because of these difficulties he has been given special allowance during his progression into academia.

My question is should he hold a professorship educating our students with such extreme views

There is a difference between allowances being made because of physical or mental disabilities, -assistance with movement, making buildings accessible or bending rules - letting a student use a staff facility -, using an amanuensis in an exam, and so on

However, allowances should not be made for the finished work of scholarship. Either it is up to scratch or it isn't. The help should be limited to helping to achieve the goal.

But I go back to the same thing again and again. The problem lies entirely with the university, and universities where he studied for not doing due diligence on his work.

If a researcher, regardless of his politics, can run a few checks on some ones work and find so much plagiarism so easily, then the question is why did not the university who accepted or awarded the degree not find this out when the work was submitted?

I have a son in academia and know the extent to which plagiarism checks are run on students work - and, of course, now, less easy, AI checks. Why were they not done on this man's work, or if they were done, why did they not pick up his plagiarism?

I see this issue as not being about the man but about the universities.

Wyllow3 Thu 06-Aug-26 08:41:33

GrannyGravy13

Wyllow3

Autism may or may not have been the case, Allsorts, but he has chosen to go. It's not an excuse, it may or may not be a reason.

We have autism in our family, they know right from wrong and truth from a lie.

Please do not fall into the trap and blame his wrong doings on autism.

The problem with any neurodiversity issue is that it varies hugely between people. Very severe autism precludes leading a normal life and some have to be cared for or contained:

On the other hand, it may just be a part of a life where there are relationships with others and aspects of personal and moral conduct are perfectly understood and the person is self aware and has learnt to communicate well.

GrannyGravy13 Thu 06-Aug-26 08:39:43

Wyllow3 I cannot agree with you when you say Academia is not a nice place

Lathyrus3 Thu 06-Aug-26 08:34:35

ā€œMany people embroider past events to make them seem bigger….ā€

Or even totally fabricate.

I absolutely agree with that.

GrannyGravy13 Thu 06-Aug-26 08:31:59

Wyllow3

Autism may or may not have been the case, Allsorts, but he has chosen to go. It's not an excuse, it may or may not be a reason.

We have autism in our family, they know right from wrong and truth from a lie.

Please do not fall into the trap and blame his wrong doings on autism.

GrannyGravy13 Thu 06-Aug-26 08:30:17

My opinion is that he has embroidered (lied and cheated) a life that has little resemblance of his reality.

No he shouldn’t be helping to shape young impressionable young people.

Wyllow3 Thu 06-Aug-26 08:25:29

Autism may or may not have been the case, Allsorts, but he has chosen to go. It's not an excuse, it may or may not be a reason.

Allsorts Thu 06-Aug-26 08:08:38

The whole things just ridiculous. No he should not be educating students with such views. Presumably he will be held accountable if he was deemed fit enough for the position in tge first place and knows wrong from right so he lied. The people that agreed to it are not up to their jobs either I suppose now he will blame his autism on his misplaced actions.

Wyllow3 Thu 06-Aug-26 08:03:47

David49 we have certainly tightened up standards. In the past many of us at uni - or indeed the world of work - came across lecturers or professors, the lazy, the "2 hours work a day then disappear", the disinterest in students, or over interest:

we are talking the 70's, but in my all women's college, I was appointed a male supervisor for my main last essay, who invited me out for a meal - not in itself improper - 5 children - and proceeded to try and take it a lot further. I backed out, and at that time didn't even think of mentioning it to my regular tutor. In other colleges some students found little or no support.
It's good that days have changed, but not always for the best as we found with Kathleen Stock.

Academia is not a "nice" place.

fancythat Thu 06-Aug-26 07:59:30

ariodante65

Just being a bit pedantic here, but the Good Law Project petition currently has about 16,000 signatures in support of Jason Arday, not 100,000 as stated above.

I said 10,000

Wyllow3 Thu 06-Aug-26 07:57:08

In terms of states of mind, the if the allegations regarding charity work or runs etc never happened, (as in his non academic life) it does seem as if there are aspects of a fantasist in there. Many people embroider past events to make then seem better, bigger, that they were, but its a matter of extent and context how much they matter.
Invention in one area of one's life may or may not impact or extend to others, depending on circumstances: only a full investigation will reveal that.

Whether it's necessary as he has resigned? Punitive or needful?

David49 Thu 06-Aug-26 07:40:55

Like many activists Arday is Autistic he is also dyslexic and had development delay, because of these difficulties he has been given special allowance during his progression into academia.

My question is should he hold a professorship educating our students with such extreme views

ariodante65 Thu 06-Aug-26 07:13:50

Just being a bit pedantic here, but the Good Law Project petition currently has about 16,000 signatures in support of Jason Arday, not 100,000 as stated above.

eazybee Thu 06-Aug-26 00:19:56

The problem is not the man himself but what went wrong in the appointment system that let him be appointed.

Jason Arday has been described as a fabulist, basically someone who writes fables, although there are more pejorative definitions. His claims about his 'books' (unpublished), fundraising charity work, and posts at other universities have been found to be false. Solicitors were employed to warn the Times to desist in their investigations, and a journalist from the DT was the subject of a four month police investigation concerning the impact of his work on Professor Arday's mental health. (No case to answer; investigation closed.)
This is the responsibility of Arday; he is not an innocent victim, and not slow in making accusations of racism when criticised.

Rosie51 Wed 05-Aug-26 23:50:07

Lathyrus3

Today 22.24 in case you can’t remember.

A plain statement with no chance of misunderstanding.

It was today at 22:44:28 as in my post at 23:25:18 just so there's no further 'confusion' šŸ˜‰

M0nica Wed 05-Aug-26 23:47:26

Any discrimination was positive discrimination in that the normal due diligence that one would expect with any academic appointment was not done properly..

It could be argued that this could have been because of this man's ethnicity and unusual background, or it could just be because their due diligence procedures are sloppy and should be tightened up.

The problem is not the man himself but what went wrong in the appointment system that let him be appointed.