Harvard to pay $53 million to settle class action lawsuit in morgue body parts scandal
Harvard Medical School will pay $53 million to settle a class‑action lawsuit over a morgue attendant who stole and sold donated human remains.Summary
Harvard Medical School has agreed to pay $53 million to settle a class‑action lawsuit filed after former morgue attendant Cedric Lodge stole and sold human remains that had been donated for research. Lodge pleaded guilty in 2025 and was sentenced to eight years in federal prison; his wife Denise pleaded guilty in 2024 and received a one‑year sentence. The settlement, preliminarily approved by Superior Court Judge Debra A. Squires‑Lee, will provide $52.5 million to families directly affected and $500,000 to those who may have suffered emotional distress, and will fund an annual scholarship honoring anatomical gift donors. A final approval hearing is scheduled for December 9, and Harvard officials say the agreement prioritizes support for families and the anatomical gift program while bringing closure to the painful incident.
(Source：The Boston Globe)