Harvard to pay US$53 million to settle lawsuits over theft of body parts
BOSTON: Harvard University has agreed to pay US$53 million to resolve lawsuits by families alleging it mishandled the bodies of loved ones donated to its medical school and whose parts were then sold on the black market by the former manager of its morgue.
Harvard University has reached a US$53 million settlement to conclude lawsuits filed by families who claim the institution mishandled donated bodies and allowed the sale of parts on the black market. The agreement was preliminarily approved by a state court judge in Boston on Tuesday, stemming from the arrest of former morgue manager Cedric Lodge in 2023.
Lodge, who worked at Harvard Medical School's morgue for nearly three decades, was sentenced to eight years in prison for stealing and selling organs from cadavers between 2018 and 2023. Relatives of the deceased families filed lawsuits alleging negligence, as they accused Harvard of ignoring Lodge's misconduct until his indictment.
Initially dismissed, the lawsuits were revived by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in October, stating that the plaintiffs had valid claims against Harvard for failing to act in good faith. In response, Harvard's deans issued a statement expressing deep regret for Lodge's actions, which they deemed "despicable and abhorrent."
The settlement includes a promise from Harvard to issue a statement to the affected families, confirming the moral reprehensibility of Lodge's crimes. Moreover, starting in the 2027-2028 academic year, Harvard Medical School will establish an annual scholarship for medical students in memory of all anatomical donors. The settlement's success is attributed to the legal representation of families by John Morgan's firm.
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