Harvard University Must Face Lawsuits Over Stolen Body Parts, State Court Rules

A Massachusetts high court has ruled that Harvard University cannot dodge legal action by families whose loved ones’ donated bodies were mishandled—cadaver parts were allegedly stolen, dissected, and sold by a former morgue manager. The decision overturns a lower court’s dismissal of 47 claims filed in 12 cases.

The court held that the plaintiffs presented sufficient allegations that Harvard failed in its duty to treat donated remains with dignity and did not act in good faith under the state’s Uniform Anatomical Gift Act. According to the ruling, Harvard did not put in place adequate oversight to prevent the misconduct.

The scandal centers on Cedric Lodge, who ran the Harvard Medical School morgue and pleaded guilty earlier this year to transporting stolen human remains across state lines. Investigators say Lodge’s scheme operated from 2018 through 2023, removing heads, brains, skin, organs, and other parts from cadavers and selling them via a black market network.

Families, outraged by the breach of trust, had alleged negligence, inadequate supervision, and the desecration of remains by an institution meant to uphold scientific and ethical standards. The court’s decision restores their right to pursue discovery and trial on those claims.

Professional and academic oversight organizations have reacted with concern over what the ruling may mean for body donation programs nationally and the legal responsibilities of institutions that accept human remains for research and education.