Harvard Medical School (HMS) has agreed to pay £39 million (US$53 million) to settle lawsuits filed by families whose donated bodies were abused by a former morgue manager.
The offer appears in a Boston court on Monday and ends suits that were initially dismissed but later revived by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
Cedric Lodge, 58, pleaded guilty in 2025 to stealing and selling parts of cadavers that had been donated for medical research. He and six other co‑conspirators used his role in the Anatomical Gifts Program to dismember the bodies and sold the tissue to buyers in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
After his conviction, some families claimed Harvard ignored his misconduct for years, leading to civil actions. Harvard’s response notes the “morally reprehensible” nature of Lodge’s actions and stresses the need to honour and support anatomical donors.
As part of the settlement, the university will create an annual scholarship for medical students starting in the 2027‑2028 academic year and will distribute settlement funds to families once the court approves the agreement.
Memorial services and new funding have been announced as steps toward healing “the process of recovering from this painful incident” continues, according to the institution’s letter.
