Harvard University will pay $53 million to resolve lawsuits stemming from the theft of anatomical body parts by a former morgue manager over more than a decade, according to a court filing in Massachusetts.
A state court judge in Boston preliminarily approved the class-action settlement on August 18, 2026. The agreement follows the 2023 arrest of Cedric Lodge, who worked at Harvard Medical School’s morgue for nearly 30 years before his indictment. Federal prosecutors said Lodge stole organs, faces, brains, skin and hands from donated cadavers and transported them from Boston to his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire, where he and his wife sold the remains on the black market.
Prosecutors allege the thefts began in 2018 and persisted until Lodge’s arrest. In December 2026, a federal judge sentenced him to eight years in prison. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court revived previously dismissed lawsuits in October 2025, ruling that plaintiffs had presented sufficient evidence to claim Harvard failed to act in good faith regarding the treatment of donors’ remains.
The settlement includes a $53 million monetary payment and non-monetary terms aimed at addressing the scandal. Harvard Medical School will establish an annual scholarship for medical students beginning in the 2027–2028 academic year, honoring all anatomical donors. The university also committed to hosting a live webinar for affected families, during which school leadership will acknowledge Lodge’s actions as "morally reprehensible."
Harvard Medical School deans George Daley and Bernard Chang described Lodge’s conduct as "despicable, abhorrent, and a flagrant betrayal of our values as a medical community." John Morgan, an attorney representing the families, said the resolution aims to ensure such misconduct never occurs again. The litigation involved families who alleged Harvard’s oversight allowed the thefts to continue unchecked for years.
