Harvard to Pay Millions in Body Parts Scandal Settlement

Harvard University has reached a $53 million settlement to resolve civil lawsuits stemming from a scandal involving the theft and sale of human remains from its medical school morgue. The agreement received preliminary court approval on August 18, 2026. The lawsuits were filed by families whose loved ones' bodies were donated for scientific research but were allegedly mishandled and had parts stolen.

The scandal centered on Cedric Lodge, a former morgue manager at Harvard Medical School, who was accused of stealing organs, skin, brains, and dissected heads from cadavers between 2018 and at least March 2020. Lodge transported the stolen remains to his New Hampshire home, where he and his wife, Denise Lodge, then shipped them to buyers across state lines. Cedric Lodge was sentenced to eight years in prison in December 2025 after pleading guilty to conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen human remains, while Denise Lodge received a sentence of 12 months and one day.

As part of the settlement, Harvard Medical School has committed to issuing a statement to claimant families, acknowledging that Lodge's conduct was "morally reprehensible" and inconsistent with the institution's standards. The school will also provide a summary of changes made to its Anatomical Gift Program and establish an annual financial aid scholarship in honor of anatomical donors.