The publisher of Arday’s memoir Great and Unfortunate Things is going ahead with its release in the US on Tuesday and in the UK on 27 August as planned.
The book tells the story of his life from being non-verbal until the age of 11 and unable to read or write until 18, then going through a series of “improbable triumphs and heartbreaking setbacks”, before being appointed professor of sociology of education at Cambridge.
However, he has been accused of plagiarism in his PhD thesis, and questions have been raised about the reliability of parts of his life story, including that he ran 600 miles in six days and that he had raised £5.5m for charity.
On Wednesday, the University of Cambridge said it had launched an investigation “following new information” about his “academic qualifications and honorary appointments”.
Announcing his resignation on the same day, Arday said the “personal cost” of the scrutiny had become “too great”.
He said: “While criticism is an inevitable part of academic life, what I have experienced has gone far beyond scholarly disagreement.
“The relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love.”
He stressed that his resignation should not “be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me”.
