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Harvard to pay $53M to settle lawsuits over stolen human remains
Harvard University has agreed to a $53 million settlement to resolve class-action lawsuits brought by families of individuals whose remains were mishandled by the university’s medical school. The legal action follows the 2023 arrest and subsequent sentencing of Cedric Lodge, a former morgue manager at Harvard Medical School, who was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for stealing and selling human body parts on the black market.
Prosecutors revealed that between 2018 and 2021, Lodge and his wife, Denise Lodge, stole various remains—including skin, brains, and faces—to sell to collectors and traders. As part of the settlement, Harvard Medical School will establish an annual scholarship for medical students to honor anatomical donors and will host a webinar for affected families to discuss reforms to the Anatomical Gifts Program.
A state court judge in Boston has granted preliminary approval to the settlement, with final approval expected in December.
Entities
Bernard Chang · Cedric Lodge · Denise Lodge · George Daley · Harvard Medical School · Harvard University
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 15 SOURCES] Former morgue manager Cedric Lodge was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for stealing and selling human remains. pulptastic.com · kumanovskimuabeti.mk · www.leinetal24.de · kahawatungu.com · dnyuz.com · +10 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] Harvard Medical School will establish an annual scholarship for medical students to honor anatomical donors. www.leinetal24.de · www.fakt.pl · indepthnh.org · www.wbur.org
- [● 15 SOURCES] Harvard University will pay $53 million to settle class-action lawsuits brought by families regarding the mishandling of donated remains. pulptastic.com · kumanovskimuabeti.mk · www.leinetal24.de · kahawatungu.com · dnyuz.com · +10 more
- [● 15 SOURCES] The theft of body parts, including heads, faces, brains, skin, and hands, occurred between 2018 and 2021. pulptastic.com · kumanovskimuabeti.mk · www.leinetal24.de · kahawatungu.com · dnyuz.com · +10 more