Harvard agrees to $53 million settlement over stolen donated remains

Harvard University has agreed to pay $53 million to settle lawsuits brought by families who said the school failed to protect donated human remains, some of which were allegedly stolen and sold.

A Massachusetts judge in Boston gave preliminary approval to the settlement. The agreement also calls for Harvard Medical School to formally acknowledge the harm to affected families and establish an annual medical-student scholarship beginning in the 2027-28 academic year. The settlement still requires final court approval.

The case followed the 2023 arrest of former morgue manager Cedric Lodge. Lodge pleaded guilty to stealing and selling human remains and was sentenced to eight years in federal prison in December. Prosecutors said the remains were taken from donated cadavers and transported to Lodge's home in Goffstown, New Hampshire, where he and his wife sold them through a private network.