A Massachusetts court has preliminarily approved a $53 million class-action settlement between Harvard University and families of donors whose body parts were stolen and sold by a former morgue manager.
The agreement, approved on August 18, 2025, resolves lawsuits filed against Harvard Medical School after Cedric Lodge, the former morgue manager, pleaded guilty to trafficking stolen human remains. Lodge, who worked at Harvard’s morgue for nearly three decades, was sentenced to eight years in prison in December 2025 for his role in the scheme.
Court approval and settlement terms
The settlement funds will be distributed through two class-action settlement funds totaling $53 million, according to a letter co-signed by Harvard Medical School Dean George Daley and Bernard Chang, dean for medical education. The university stated the process of distributing funds is expected to take several months once finalized.
Harvard acknowledged in the letter that Lodge’s actions were “despicable, abhorrent, and a flagrant betrayal of our values as a medical community.” The university expressed “deep sorrow and empathy for the families of donors who may have been impacted.”
Details of the scheme
Prosecutors allege that between 2018 and March 2020, Lodge stole and trafficked heads, brains, skin, bones, and other human remains from cadavers donated to Harvard Medical School’s Anatomical Gift Program. After bodies were used for teaching and research, Lodge allegedly smuggled the remains from the morgue in Boston to his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire, where he and his wife sold them to buyers across the country.
Lodge’s wife, Denise Lodge, 65, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for her role in the conspiracy. Six other co-conspirators who purchased remains from Lodge have also pleaded guilty and received sentences.
Legal background and institutional response
The lawsuits accused Harvard of negligence, alleging the university turned a blind eye to Lodge’s misconduct for years until he was indicted in 2023. A state court judge initially dismissed the class-action lawsuit, but the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court overturned that decision in October 2025, ruling that plaintiffs had sufficient claims to proceed.
Harvard stated in its letter that it is working with plaintiffs to “prioritize support for families and the organ donation program” while avoiding prolonged litigation. The university emphasized its commitment to the Anatomical Gift Program, which relies on donated bodies for medical education and research.
Ongoing implications
The settlement does not resolve criminal liability for Lodge or his co-conspirators, who have already been sentenced. Harvard has not disclosed specific timelines for fund distribution but noted that the process will be conducted in coordination with plaintiffs’ representatives.
The case has raised broader questions about institutional oversight in medical schools and morgues, particularly regarding the handling of donated human remains.