Harvard agrees to $53 million settlement in stolen cadaver parts lawsuit

Harvard University has agreed to pay $53 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by families who said body parts from cadavers donated to the medical school's anatomy program were stolen and sold on the black market. A Massachusetts judge gave initial approval to the settlement on August 18. According to court documents, former morgue manager Cedric Lodge, who worked at the Harvard morgue for about 30 years, stole heads, brains, skin, bones and other human remains from cadavers donated between 2018 and 2020 for medical education and research. He transported the remains to his home and sold them to buyers across several U.S. states. Lodge pleaded guilty in December 2025 to interstate transport of stolen goods and was sentenced to eight years in prison; his wife received a sentence of one year and one day. Katrina McLean, who was tried on August 18 for purchasing cadaver parts, was sentenced to 24 months for interstate transport of stolen goods. The court found that the remains of donors were sold commercially in a "horrific and undignified" manner, while Harvard argued it was unaware of the violations. Medical School Dean George Daley and Dean for Medical Education Bernard Chang described Lodge's actions as "disgusting and a clear betrayal of the values of the medical community."