Massachusetts Supreme Court Allows Lawsuits Against Harvard Over Stolen Donated Body Parts

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has ruled that Harvard University can be sued by families of individuals who donated their bodies to its medical school, where parts of the cadavers were illicitly stolen and sold by the former morgue manager, Cedric Lodge. The court found that Harvard and its Anatomical Gift Program managing director, Mark Cicchetti, failed to act in good faith by neglecting to implement controls that could have prevented Lodge's illegal activities, including dismembering bodies and allowing unauthorized access to the morgue. The ruling reversed a lower court's dismissal that had granted Harvard broad immunity under the state's Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, emphasizing that the university neglected its legal obligation to treat donated human remains with dignity. The misconduct reportedly continued for years despite red flags such as Lodge's "Grim Reaper" license plate and prior similar scandals at other medical schools. Families are now permitted to pursue negligence claims against Harvard and its staff, seeking accountability for the mishandling and sale of the donated body parts. Harvard has not yet commented on the ruling or the lawsuits.