Harvard agrees to pay millions after morgue manager sold body parts
Harvard University has agreed to a $53 million settlement to resolve lawsuits regarding the mishandling of human remains by a former morgue manager. The manager, Cedric Lodge, pleaded guilty to stealing and selling body parts on the black market between 2018 and 2021.
Why it matters
This case highlights significant ethical and oversight failures in medical research institutions and the legal consequences of violating public trust in anatomical donation programs.
Image source, Getty Images By Olivia Ireland and Sareen Habeshian Published 22 minutes ago Harvard has agreed to pay $53 million (£39 million) to resolve lawsuits from families who alleged the university mishandled the bodies of loved ones donated to its medical school.
The settlement, proposed in a Boston court on Monday, would end the suits filed against Harvard Medical School (HMS) after former morgue manager Cedric Lodge pleaded guilty to stealing and selling human remains on the black market.
Lodge, 58, took parts from cadavers and sold them online in a scheme that allegedly ran from 2018 to 2021.
The medical school said in a letter it shared on Monday that multi-million dollar settlement funds will be set up for families once the court grants approval.
Lodge and six other co-conspirators who had no connection to Harvard were all indicted and pleaded guilty in 2025.
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