A 23-year-old University of Glasgow student died by suicide after the school mistakenly informed him that he had failed to meet the requirements to graduate.
“You wake up and you think it’s a bad dream, but it’s not,” said Tracy Scott, the mother of Ethan Brown, in an interview with STV News.
Ethan, who majored in geography, was set to complete his degree in the summer of 2024, the university confirmed to PEOPLE in a statement issued on Sept. 30. However, the institution admitted that in September 2024, it “wrongly informed him that he did not have the necessary credits to graduate.”
Ethan’s death occurred on Dec. 13, 2024 — the day he would have received his degree. At a press conference, the family’s attorney, Aamer Anwar, said Tracy Scott discovered her son deceased in his bedroom that day, according to BBC.
Following his death, Ethan’s family reached out to the university on Jan. 13, 2025, seeking answers. The university launched an internal investigation and acknowledged its mistake.
“Upon investigation, the University identified the error and commissioned an internal report by a recently retired senior professor into the circumstances; this was shared with Ethan’s family on its completion,” the statement shared with PEOPLE read.
“The Deputy Vice Chancellor and the compiler of the report met with representatives of the family in early February 2025 to talk through the findings and offer a sincere apology as well as our deepest sympathies,” the statement continued.
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The school described the situation as a “tragic” administrative failure, admitting that the error “should have been picked up during the exam board process.” It also cited “a further shortcoming” in communication with Ethan, noting that he was never referred to Student Support Services despite disclosing concerns about his wellbeing.
Attorney Anwar said Ethan should have graduated with honors, and his family believes the university failed to provide adequate academic and mental health support. “The University of Glasgow, the family believe, failed Ethan, and believe he took his own life as a result,” Anwar said.
Ethan’s mother told the BBC, “It breaks my heart to now be aware of the mental anguish this university must have caused my son. The truth is, Ethan had successfully attained an honors degree, despite the university repeatedly informing him he had been unsuccessful.”
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In a statement to PEOPLE, the University of Glasgow said it had reviewed all student records and was “confident” that the grading mistake was an isolated incident. The university is now conducting a “thorough review” of its academic and student well-being procedures, including staff training related to exam board processes.
“We are profoundly sorry that this terrible event occurred and understand the deep distress it has caused Ethan’s family,” the university said.
Through their attorney, the family remembered Ethan as someone “with a smile that would light up the room” — a kind and joyful young man whose presence drew people in.
Scott told STV News that discovering her son had been right all along has fueled her resolve to seek accountability. “That’s what’s given me the fire in my belly, so to speak,” she said, adding that Glasgow University “failed [Ethan] not only academically, but also to support him,” per the BBC.
