Harvard to pay $53m settlement over theft and sale of human remains from medical school

Harvard University has agreed to pay $53m to settle civil lawsuits arising from the illegal theft and sale of human remains that had been donated to its medical school for scientific research.

The case centers on Cedric Lodge, 58, the medical school's former morgue manager, who was sentenced last December to eight years in prison after pleading guilty in May to stealing and selling body parts as part of a nationwide scheme. Prosecutors said the thefts, which involved organs, skin, brains and dissected heads taken from donated cadavers, occurred between 2018 and at least March 2020.

His wife, Denise Lodge, 65, was also sentenced, receiving 12 months and one day in prison for her role in the scheme. According to a US Department of Justice statement, Lodge removed remains without the knowledge or consent of his employer, the donors, or their families, transporting them to his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire. From there, the couple shipped the remains to buyers in other states, including Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, with many of the parts resold for further profit. Several other defendants in related cases have also pleaded guilty and been sentenced.

Terms of the settlement

According to the Harvard Crimson, the settlement requires Harvard Medical School to hold a live webinar for claimant families, affirming that Lodge's conduct was "morally reprehensible" and inconsistent with the university's standards, and outlining changes made to its Anatomical Gift Program. The school will also create an annual financial aid scholarship for medical students beginning in the 2027-28 academic year, in honor of its anatomical donors.

Affected families began filing lawsuits in the summer of 2023, shortly after Lodge was indicted, alleging negligence and infliction of emotional distress, among other claims. In a message to school affiliates, the deans said the settlement would help avoid prolonged litigation, though they acknowledged the recovery process from the incident continues. They reiterated their sorrow and empathy for the families of donors affected by the case.