The mother of a student who took his own life after being wrongly told he would not be eligible to graduate from the University of Glasgow will collect his degree posthumously on his behalf.

Ethan Scott Brown, 23, was due to graduate in December 2024 after studying geography at the Scottish university.

However, his family said that in September of that year, he was notified he had not been awarded a grade for one course and would therefore not be eligible to graduate with an Honours degree.

They said that as a result, he took his own life on 13 December 2024, the day he should have been graduating, and was found dead in his bedroom by his mother, Tracy Scott.

On Monday, his family will attend the university graduation ceremony on his behalf, when they will be given his BSc Geography with Honours Second Class, Division I.

Family seeks answers

Aamer Anwar, the family solicitor, said in a statement, “This is a deeply emotional day for the family. Their attendance honours not only Ethan’s memory but also his hard work and dedication to his studies and his dream of graduating.

“The family wish to emphasise that the graduation ceremony is not solely to celebrate Ethan’s achievements.

“It is a celebration for every student who has worked tirelessly to graduate, and it is important to the family that other graduates and their families are able to enjoy their day without disruption or overshadowing.”

Mr Anwar said the family continue to have serious concerns regarding the university’s handling of Ethan’s case.

The family say that after Ethan’s mother sought answers from the university, an internal probe produced a report confirming that he had been awarded the wrong grade for that course due to a university error and should have graduated with a 2 to 1 Honours degree.

They claim the error was not spotted by any staff, nor identified by two internal exam boards and one external exam board.

Investigation Reopened

His family, from Coatbridge in North Lanarkshire, believe there has been a systemic failure at the university and are calling for answers about whether other students may also have been wrongly told they failed.

Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain wrote to the family in November saying the investigation into Ethan’s death had been reopened.

“As part of that investigation, the circumstances will also be considered by our specialist Health and Safety Investigation Unit, which will assess whether there is evidence to suggest that any health and safety failings have occurred,” Bain said.

Later that month, the Scottish Funding Council said the university had been referred to the Quality Assurance Agency under the Scottish Quality Concerns Scheme. As a result, the agency determined that an independent targeted peer review was necessary.

The review visit has been completed, with the report to be published in the coming months.

Mr Anwar said, “The family continue to call for a full, transparent and robust investigation into the flawed academic processes and the decisions that were made. Their aim is to ensure that no other student or family endure what Ethan and his family have.”

A spokesperson for the University of Glasgow said, “The university expressed its profound sympathy to Ethan’s family following his tragic death in December last year. We are heartened that Ethan has been awarded his degree and that members of his family are able to attend the graduation ceremony to receive it.”