Glasgow Inquiry Finds Grading Error Before Student Death

Ethan Brown, a 23-year-old geography student at the University of Glasgow, died by suicide on his scheduled graduation day after being told in September 2024 that he had not been awarded a grade for a course and therefore could not graduate. An internal inquiry found the university had recorded the wrong grade — he should have been awarded a 2:1 honours degree — and that the error was not picked up by staff, two internal exam boards or an external panel. The family say the university failed to provide adequate mental-health support when he reported difficulties and describe the case as a systemic failure; his mother and lawyer are demanding answers and considering legal action. The university has expressed deepest sympathies, described the incident as a tragic error, and acknowledged omissions in student support identified by the inquiry. The family held a press conference to publicise the inquiry's findings and to seek reassurance that other students were not similarly affected.