Harvard University has agreed to a proposed $53 million settlement with families who alleged its medical school negligently handled its anatomical gift program, leading to the theft and sale of donated body parts. Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Debra A. Squires-Lee granted preliminary approval to the class-action settlement on Tuesday.
A final approval hearing is scheduled for Dec. 9, 2026. The settlement would establish two funds totaling $53 million to resolve claims against the university.
The litigation stems from the 2023 arrest of Cedric Lodge, who managed Harvard Medical School's morgue for nearly three decades. Prosecutors alleged that Lodge stole and sold parts of cadavers donated to the school for medical research and education. Lodge pleaded guilty to interstate transport of stolen human remains and was sentenced to eight years in prison. His wife, Denise Lodge, received a 12-month sentence.
Lodge admitted to participating in the sale and transport of human remains stolen from the morgue between 2018 and at least March 2020. The stolen items included organs, brains, skin, hands, faces, and dissected heads from donated cadavers. These parts were transported to his home in New Hampshire without the knowledge or permission of Harvard, the donors, or their families.
In a message to the school community, Harvard's dean of the faculty of medicine, George Daley, and dean for medical education, Bernard Chang, condemned Lodge's conduct as "despicable, abhorrent, and a flagrant betrayal of our values."
The university noted that the federal indictment stated Lodge acted "without the knowledge or permission of HMS." The proposed settlement also includes a pledge by Harvard Medical School to provide statements to claimant families, reaffirming that Lodge's actions were "morally reprehensible and inconsistent with the standards" of the university. Additionally, Harvard will establish an annual financial aid scholarship for medical students starting in the 2027-2028 academic year to honor anatomical donors.
John Morgan, whose law firm represented the families, stated, "We hope that this resolution ensures that this never happens to another family ever again."