Harvard University Reaches $53 Million Settlement Over Stolen Human Remains
Harvard University has agreed to a proposed $53 million settlement with families who accused the institution of mishandling its anatomical gift program. This class action lawsuit stems from the actions of Cedric Lodge, a former morgue manager at Harvard Medical School, who was found to have stolen and sold body parts from cadavers donated for medical research and education. The settlement, which received preliminary approval from Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Debra A. Squires-Lee, aims to resolve claims against the university. A final approval hearing for the settlement is scheduled for December 9, 2026. Lodge pleaded guilty to interstate transport of stolen human remains and was sentenced to eight years in prison, while his wife, Denise Lodge, received a sentence of 12 months and one day. Prosecutors stated that Lodge engaged in the sale and transport of organs, brains, skin, hands, faces, dissected heads, and other parts from donated cadavers between 2018 and March 2020, before their proper disposal... 
