Harvard Pays $53 M After Skeleton Smuggling Scandal

Sun Sep 06 2026 12:17:30 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Harvard agrees to settle lawsuits and pay $53 M in families’ claims after a former morgue manager stole and sold parts of donated bodies.

Harvard Medical School has agreed to pay $53 million to families who sued the university after former morgue manager Cedric Lodge stole and sold body parts on the black market. Lodge, who managed the Anatomical Gifts Program, operated the scheme from 2018‑2021 and was sentenced to eight years in prison. The settlement will reimburse families and fund a new annual scholarship honoring donors. Harvard’s dean emphasized that the payment and sentencing conclude the case but the healing process will continue.

Harvard Pays $53 M After Skeleton Smuggling Scandal

Harvard Medical School has agreed to a $53 million settlement with families who sued the university after a former morgue manager, Cedric Lodge, stole and sold body parts on the black market. Lodge, who managed the Anatomical Gifts Program, operated the scheme from 2018 to 2021 and was sentenced to eight years in prison.

The court‑approved settlement will reimburse families and establish a new annual scholarship for medical students in honor of anatomical donors. Harvard’s leadership said the payment and sentencing close the case, but the healing process will continue. The university also announced new financial‑aid measures for students beginning in the 2027‑2028 academic year.