Harvard settles body parts trafficking scandal for $53 million

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Washington DC: Harvard University has agreed to pay a $53 million settlement after its former morgue manager stole and sold body parts donated for scientific research, with a Boston court reportedly approving the plan on Tuesday.

The agreement establishes two class action settlement funds totaling $53 million to support affected families and avoid prolonged litigation.

Officials co-signed a letter describing the former manager's actions as despicable, abhorrent, and a flagrant betrayal of the medical community's values while expressing deep sorrow for the impacted families.

Investigators revealed that former morgue manager Cedric Lodge and his wife took human remains from Harvard Medical School without employer or donor permission, shipping them to out-of-state buyers starting in 2018.

Lodge was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking stolen remains.

Lodge's wife received a one-year prison sentence, while six buyers also pleaded guilty. In response, Harvard pledged to detail program improvements and establish an annual financial aid scholarship starting in 2027 to honor anatomical donors.