Harvard Wins Preliminary Approval for $53 Million Body-Parts Settlement

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 20

A Massachusetts judge on Tuesday preliminarily approved Harvard's proposed $53 million class-action settlement with families who said the university negligently handled its anatomical gift program.
The case stemmed from former Harvard Medical School morgue manager Cedric Lodge, who admitted stealing and selling donated body parts from 2018 through at least March 2020 and transporting them to his New Hampshire home.
Lodge pleaded guilty to interstate transport of stolen human remains and received eight years in prison; his wife, Denise Lodge, was sentenced to 12 months and one day.
Harvard said Lodge acted without the school's knowledge or permission, called his conduct morally reprehensible, and said the deal includes a statement to families and a donor-honoring scholarship starting in 2027-28.
A final approval hearing is set for Dec. 9, 2026, when the court will decide whether to make the settlement binding.