Harvard agrees to pay $53 million after morgue manager sold body parts

Key Points:

• Harvard University agreed to a $53 million settlement after its former morgue manager, Cedric Lodge, stole and sold body parts donated for scientific research; the settlement plan received preliminary court approval on Tuesday.
• Cedric Lodge was sentenced to eight years in prison in December for trafficking stolen remains, with his wife Denise receiving a one-year sentence; six other co-conspirators have also pleaded guilty and been sentenced.
• Investigations revealed that Lodge and his associates sold human body parts without permission since 2018, including through a store in Salem, Massachusetts, which sold bones and oddities.
• Harvard Medical School expressed deep regret over the incident and will establish two class action settlement funds totaling $53 million, as well as an annual financial aid scholarship starting in the 2027-28 academic year to honor anatomical donors.
• The university emphasized its commitment to supporting affected families and the organ donation program while avoiding prolonged litigation.