Student Takes Own Life After University Wrongly Told He Wouldn’t Graduate

A student took his own life after being incorrectly told he would not be eligible to graduate from university

Ethan Scott Brown, 23, was due to graduate at the University of Glasgow in December 2024 after studying geography. But he was wrongly told he was eligible and that he had not been awarded a grade for one course and would therefore had not earned an Honours degree.

His mother Tracy Scott has spoken of her heartbreak, saying he was “failed” by the university. Ethan’s family said that as a result he went on to take his own life on December 13 2024, the day he should have been graduating, and was found dead in his bedroom by his broken parent.

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

They claim that the error was not spotted by any University of Glasgow staff, nor identified by two internal exam boards, and one external exam board. 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 at the university are affected and may have been wrongly told they failed.

The university has admitted there was a “tragic error” around Ethan’s marks and expressed its deepest sympathies but said the issue was an isolated incident. Speaking at a press conference at the family solicitor’s office in Glasgow on Tuesday, Ethan’s mother said: “My son, Ethan, was so happy to be accepted to study at the University of Glasgow. We as a family were delighted for him.

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“Ethan was a kind, caring young man who was very much loved. So it breaks my heart to now be aware of the mental anguish this university must have caused my son. Ethan left this world believing he had failed, and the University of Glasgow were correct. The truth is, Ethan had successfully attained a 2:1 honours degree, despite the university repeatedly informing him he had been unsuccessful.

“They failed him, not only academically, but also to support him. My son was failed from having a duty of care from the educational system, resulting in my family having been robbed from having Ethan in our lives. We seek justice for Ethan in the hope that other students and their families do not have to experience the pain that myself and my family will have to live with forever.”

The family’s solicitor Aamer Anwar said the family also want to know “whether this systemic failure would ever have been identified had Ethan not died and his family had not fought for answers”. Mr Anwar said the family also wish to raise “serious concerns” about the wellbeing support offered to struggling students by the University of Glasgow.