Harvard agrees to $53 million settlement in body parts theft scandal

Harvard University has agreed to pay $53 million to settle claims that body parts donated for research were stolen and sold by Cedric Lodge, a former manager at Harvard Medical School’s morgue. Lodge, 58, was sentenced to eight years in prison in December 2023 after pleading guilty to interstate transportation of stolen goods. The breach, which occurred between 2018 and March 2023, involved Lodge distributing brains, skin, and other body parts to collectors across multiple states, often transporting them to his home in New Hampshire. The scandal implicated Lodge’s wife and others in a criminal network. Families of donors sued Harvard, leading to a legal battle that reached the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, which ruled the university was not protected by limited immunity under the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act. Harvard officials, including Dr. George Q. Daley and Dr. Bernard Chang, expressed regret and emphasized the settlement would allow both parties to avoid prolonged litigation. The agreement includes establishing two class-action settlement funds, appointing a third-party administrator to notify eligible class members, and issuing statements acknowledging Lodge’s actions as “morally reprehensible.” Additionally, Harvard will create an annual scholarship for medical students starting in 2027-28 to honor anatomical donors. The settlement process is expected to take several months, and while it resolves civil cases, the university acknowledged ongoing efforts to recover from the incident.

(Source：Boston)