Harvard Pays $53M to Settle Cadaver Theft Scandal

Harvard Medical School has agreed to pay $53 million to settle civil lawsuits accusing it of negligence after its former morgue manager spent four years stealing and selling body parts from cadavers donated for medical research. The settlement will be split across two class action funds, with the money expected to take several months to distribute.

Cedric Lodge, who managed Harvard's Anatomical Gift Program, stole organs, brains, faces, and other body parts from donated cadavers between 2018 and August 2022. The Justice Department said he sold these items to buyers across multiple states.

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Families sued Harvard over the thefts in 2023, arguing the school had failed to protect remains entrusted to it. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ultimately sided with families, forcing the suits into a settlement. An initial class action lawsuit estimated that between 350 and 400 donated cadavers may have been affected.

As part of the settlement, Harvard Medical School will establish an annual financial aid scholarship for medical students starting in the 2027-2028 academic year. The school also acknowledges Lodge's conduct was 'morally reprehensible' and will address donor families directly via a live webinar.