Harvard Agrees To $53 Million Settlement Over Stolen Donor Body Parts
Harvard said it will seek court approval for two class-action settlement funds totaling $53 million to resolve claims over stolen anatomical donations, the university announced on Monday, August 17, 2026.[1]
A judge gave preliminary approval to the settlement plan on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.[1] The settlements will create funds for family payments and for program changes, and Harvard says it will set up an annual scholarship in donors' honor beginning with the 2027-28 academic year.[1]
Former Harvard Medical School morgue manager Cedric Lodge was sentenced in December 2025 to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking donated human remains.[1] Prosecutors say Lodge and his wife removed body parts without consent starting about 2018 and sold them to buyers in other states, and several buyers later pleaded guilty.[1]
Harvard told families it will provide formal statements and details of program improvements as part of the settlement process, and university officials are seeking court approval to finalize the agreements.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Monday, August 17, 2026, Harvard said it would seek court approval for two class-action settlement funds totaling $53 million over stolen anatomical donations.
- A judge gave preliminary approval to the settlement plan on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, according to the Harvard Crimson.
- Former Harvard Medical School morgue manager Cedric Lodge was sentenced in December 2025 to eight years in prison for trafficking donated human remains.
- The scheme, running since about 2018, involved Lodge and his wife removing body parts without consent and selling them to buyers in other states, several of whom have also pleaded guilty.
- Harvard Medical School will establish an annual financial aid scholarship in honor of anatomical donors beginning with the 2027-28 academic year and will provide formal statements and program-improvement details to affected families.
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