In June 2023, Harvard Medical School was shocked by the indictment and arrest of Cedric Lodge, a former staff member in our morgue, who was charged with the unlawful interstate transport of stolen human remains from 2018 through August 2022. His violations — which, as the federal indictment against him states, were “without the knowledge or permission of HMS” — were despicable, abhorrent, and a flagrant betrayal of our values as a medical community. In December 2025, after pleading guilty to his crimes, he was sentenced to 96 months in prison. Six other co-conspirators who bought remains from Lodge but had no connection to Harvard were also indicted, pleaded guilty, and have been sentenced.
These events do not reflect the reverence we hold for the altruistic individuals who selflessly donate their bodies to our Anatomical Gift Program (AGP) to provide essential educational opportunities to medical and dental students, practicing surgeons, and allied health professionals. We reaffirm our deep sorrow and empathy for the families of donors who may have been impacted.
Read the Aug. 17, 2026, Anatomical Gift Program Update from Harvard Medical School, which states: On Aug, 17, 2026, Harvard and the plaintiffs in the civil lawsuits asked the court to approve a class action settlement* agreement to resolve the claims against the University. At a court conference on Aug. 18, 2026, counsel for both the plaintiffs and Harvard will request the court’s preliminary approval of the settlement agreement. If the court grants preliminary approval, two class action settlement funds totaling $53 million will be established to resolve the lawsuits. A third-party Settlement Administrator will be appointed to, among other things, notify potential class members — including by creating a website with information on eligibility and instructions for submitting a claim — and to distribute settlement funds. This process, from beginning to end, is expected to take several months. We will update our Frequently Asked Questions when further information about the court’s actions and when details from and contact information for the Settlement Administrator are available.
In addition to monetary provisions, the settlement agreement includes HMS’ pledge to provide a statement to the claimant families via live webinar confirming that Cedric Lodge’s criminal acts were morally reprehensible and inconsistent with the standards that Harvard University and HMS expect for the treatment of anatomical donors and their loved ones, as well as a statement summarizing improvements made to the AGP. Furthermore, beginning in the 2027-2028 academic year, HMS will establish an annual financial aid scholarship for medical students in appreciation and in honor of all of our anatomical donors.
We are grateful to be working together with the plaintiffs to move forward in a way that prioritizes support for families and the AGP and avoids prolonged litigation. While Lodge’s sentencing concludes the criminal case against him, and the class action settlement agreement when fulfilled would conclude the civil cases, the process of recovering from this painful incident continues.
*A settlement is a resolution of a lawsuit prior to the court issuing a ruling in favor of any party, and without any party admitting to fault.
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