Harvard University will pay $53 million to families after Cedric Lodge sold donated human remains on the black market.
Harvard University has reached a preliminary $53 million settlement with dozens of families whose donated remains were sold by a former employee. The agreement follows a years-long legal battle over the treatment of the remains, which were used to fuel an illegal side business run by former morgue manager Cedric Lodge. Between 2018 and 2022, Cedric Lodge pocketed various organs and body parts, including heads, faces, and brains, transporting them to his home to sell to buyers in Pennsylvania. While a judge initially dismissed the lawsuit in February 2024, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court revived the case in October 2025, ruling that the school may have subjected the remains to undignified treatment. As part of the settlement, Harvard will also host a webinar to acknowledge the moral failings of the conduct and establish an annual scholarship for medical students starting in the 2027-2028 academic year.