Harvard Medical School Agrees To Pay $53 Million After Cedric Lodge Sold Donated Remains

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 court reportedly approving the plan on Tuesday. sentenced to eight years in prison in December after pleading guilty to trafficking stolen remains. , who managed the morgue at the prestigious Harvard Medical School before being fired in 2023, wasInvestigators said Lodge and his wife took body parts from the school "without the knowledge or permission of his employer, the donor, or the donor's family" and shipped them to buyers in other states since 2018. Harvard University said in a letter on Monday that it will seek the court's permission to set up "two class action settlement funds totaling $53 million." "We are grateful to be working together with the plaintiffs to move forward in a way that prioritizes support for families and the (organ donation program) and avoids prolonged litigation," read the letter co-signed by Harvard Medical School Dean George Daley and Bernard Chang, dean for medical education. Lodge's violations "were despicable, abhorrent, and a flagrant betrayal of our values as a medical community," they said. "We reaffirm our deep sorrow and empathy for the families of donors who may have been impacted." A judge gave preliminary approval to the settlement plan on Tuesday, the Harvard Crimson reported. Harvard said the process of distributing funds is expected to take several months. Lodge's wife Denise was earlier sentenced to one year in prison. Six other co-conspirators who bought remains from Lodge have also pleaded guilty and received sentences. Cedric and Denise Lodge and two others — Katrina MacLean and Joshua Taylor — allegedly conspired , according to court documents.Pauley, who was charged in August 2022 with multiple counts related to the alleged purchase and sale of corpses, allegedly bought body parts from MacLean, court documents said. Investigators then found that, since about 2018, MacLean and Taylor had been selling human parts and remains that they had purchased from the Lodges. Court documents allege that MacLean and Taylor sold human body parts to numerous buyers and that MacLean also stored and sold remains in Kat's Creepy Creations, her store in Salem, Massachusetts. The store's Instagram page says it specializes in "creepy dolls, oddities, and bone art," and one post was captioned, "If you're in the market for human bones hit me up," CBS News Boston reported. Harvard Medical School will set up an annual financial aid scholarship starting in the 2027-28 academic year "in appreciation and in honor of all of our anatomical donors," the school said. The settlement plan also includes a pledge by the school to provide a statement to the claimant families condemning Lodge's criminal acts, and to detail improvements made to the organ donation program.

Former Morgue Manager Sentenced To Eight Years For Stealing And Selling Human Remains Harvard University has agreed to pay Rs 507 crore ($53 million) to settle civil lawsuits stemming from the theft and illegal sale of human body parts from a morgue at Harvard Medical School. The settlement follows the conviction of Cedric Lodge, a former manager of the medical school’s morgue, who admitted to stealing dissected human heads, brains, skin, hands, faces and other human remains and selling them on the black market. Lodge, 58, was sentenced to eight years in prison in December after pleading guilty to the charges. Harvard Medical School Dean George Daley and Dean for Medical Education Bernard Chang said on Monday that the settlement would allow the university and the complainants to avoid prolonged litigation. “While Lodge's sentencing concludes the criminal case against him, and the class action settlement agreement, when fulfilled, would conclude the civil cases, the process of recovering from this painful incident continues,” Daley and Chang said in a letter. The medical school said multi-million-dollar settlement funds would be established for the affected families once the court grants approval. The case has drawn widespread attention after investigators found that Lodge had removed human remains from the Harvard Medical School morgue and sold them as part of a black-market trade. ( Source : Deccan Chronicle ) Next Story

Harvard University has agreed to pay around Rs 507 crore as part of a settlement over a shocking body parts trafficking case linked to its medical school. The settlement is aimed at resolving lawsuits filed by families whose loved ones had donated their bodies for medical research. The controversy came to light after former Harvard Medical School morgue manager Cedric Lodge was accused of stealing human remains from the facility. Prosecutors said he removed parts including heads, brains, skin, hands and other organs from donated cadavers. Lodge allegedly transported the stolen remains to his home in New Hampshire, where they were sold to buyers through a black market network. The shocking scheme reportedly continued for several years before authorities uncovered it in 2023. Lodge later pleaded guilty to charges related to the interstate transportation of stolen human remains. He was sentenced to eight years in prison in December 2025, while his wife Denise Lodge also received a prison sentence for her involvement in the operation. Several families whose relatives had donated their bodies to Harvard filed lawsuits, accusing the university of failing to properly monitor the morgue and protect the donated remains. A Massachusetts court later allowed the lawsuits against Harvard to proceed. As part of the settlement, Harvard Medical School will establish funds for affected families, subject to final court approval. The institution has also promised further measures, including an annual scholarship honouring anatomical donors, in an effort to rebuild trust after the disturbing scandal. Tags Harvard University

Listen to this article Listen to this article Harvard University agreed to pay a settlement of 53 million dollars after the former manager of its morgue stole and sold parts of donated human bodies for scientific research. Cedric Lodge, the manager of Harvard Medical School's prestigious morgue until his dismissal in 2023, was sentenced to eight years in prison in December after pleading guilty to trafficking in stolen human remains. Investigators noted that Lodge and his wife took parts of bodies from the school "without the knowledge or permission of his employer, of the donor, or of the donor’s family" and shipped them to buyers in other states since 2018. Harvard University said in a letter on Monday that it would seek court permission to create "class-action settlement funds totaling 53 million dollars" for the settlements. U.S. media reported that a judge of the Boston state court had preliminarily approved this settlement. In a letter signed by the dean of Harvard Medical School, George Daley, and Bernard Chang, dean of medical education, they assert that Lodge’s acts were "despicable, abominable, and a flagrant betrayal of our values as a medical community." "We reaffirm our deep sorrow and empathy for the families of the donors who may have been affected," they insisted. Among the human parts sold by the morgue manager were internal organs, brains, skin, hands, faces, and dissected heads. Lodge’s wife was sentenced to one year in prison for the case. Additionally, six buyers also pled guilty and were convicted. ASJ

Harvard Medical School has reached settlements with families whose loved ones' remains were sold on the black market. The school said this week on its website that it had agreed to pay $53 million in two class action settlement funds, pending court approval. The lawsuits were brought over a scandal that came to light three years ago. Investigators said body parts had been stolen from the medical school's morgue between 2018 and 2023. Cedric Lodge, the morgue's manager, pleaded guilty last year to interstate transport of stolen human remains. He was sentenced to eight years in prison. Lodge had been accused of letting people come into the morgue to pick out body parts for sale, then steal them and take them to his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire, for shipping. His wife, Denise Lodge, was also sentenced to more than a year in prison for assisting him. Families of the victims filed civil lawsuits in a bid to hold the university accountable. A judge dismissed the cases in February of 2024, determining Harvard was immune from liability because it acted in good faith and was not responsible for employee misconduct. But in October of 2025, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court reversed part of that decision and let the lawsuits continue. "We are grateful to be working together with the plaintiffs to move forward in a way that prioritizes support for families and the AGP and avoids prolonged litigation," Harvard Medical School Dean for Medical Education Bernard S. Chang and Harvard University Dean of the Faculty of Medicine George Q. Daley wrote in a letter to the school community posted Monday. "While Lodge's sentencing concludes the criminal case against him, and the class action settlement agreement when fulfilled would conclude the civil cases, the process of recovering from this painful incident continues." More on the Harvard morgue scandal Lodge sold body parts, including brains, skin, hands and faces, taken from people whose remains were donated via Harvard's Anatomical Gift Program. After the body part-selling scheme was revealed, the university brought in outside experts to review the Anatomical Gift Program, then implemented changes they recommended. Read the full Harvard Medical School letter: - Dear Members of the HMS and HSDM Communities: Three years ago, we were shocked by the indictment and arrest of Cedric Lodge, a former staff member in our morgue, who was charged with the unlawful interstate transport of stolen human remains from 2018 through August 2022. His violations — which, as the federal indictment against him states, were “without the knowledge or permission of HMS” — were despicable, abhorrent, and a flagrant betrayal of our values as a medical community. In December 2025, after pleading guilty to his crimes, he was sentenced to 96 months in prison. Six other co-conspirators who bought remains from Lodge but had no connection to Harvard were also indicted, pleaded guilty, and have been sentenced. These events do not reflect the reverence we hold for the altruistic individuals who selflessly donate their bodies to our Anatomical Gift Program (AGP) to provide essential educational opportunities to medical and dental students, practicing surgeons, and allied health professionals. We reaffirm our deep sorrow and empathy for the families of donors who may have been impacted. Beginning in the summer of 2023, a number of civil lawsuits were brought against Harvard related to Lodge’s conduct. Today, Harvard and the plaintiffs in those cases asked the court to approve a class action settlement agreement to resolve the claims against the University. At a court conference tomorrow afternoon, counsel for both the plaintiffs and Harvard will request the court’s preliminary approval of the settlement agreement. If the court grants preliminary approval, two class action settlement funds totaling $53 million will be established to resolve the lawsuits. A third-party Settlement Administrator will be appointed to, among other things, notify potential class members — including by creating a website with information on eligibility and instructions for submitting a claim — and to distribute settlement funds. This process, from beginning to end, is expected to take several months. We will update the FAQs on our website when further information about the court’s actions and when details from and contact information for the Settlement Administrator are available. In addition to monetary provisions, the settlement agreement includes HMS’ pledge to provide a statement to the claimant families via live webinar confirming that Lodge’s criminal acts were morally reprehensible and inconsistent with the standards that Harvard University and HMS expect for the treatment of anatomical donors and their loved ones, as well as a statement summarizing improvements made to the AGP. Furthermore, beginning in the 2027-2028 academic year, HMS will establish an annual financial aid scholarship for medical students in appreciation and in honor of all of our anatomical donors. The AGP has also enacted the recommendations of a panel of three outside experts appointed by the Harvard University Office of the President and Provost in 2023 to evaluate the AGP and related policies and practices. The panel released its report in December 2023, which provided constructive feedback and recommendations to ensure that the program adheres to the highest standards and best practices. The recommendations were categorized into six areas — governance, policies, communications, specimens, collections, and facilities — each of which was assigned to a senior faculty member or administrator responsible for overseeing the progress in that domain, resulting in important and sustained progress over the past two years. We are grateful to be working together with the plaintiffs to move forward in a way that prioritizes support for families and the AGP and avoids prolonged litigation. While Lodge’s sentencing concludes the criminal case against him, and the class action settlement agreement when fulfilled would conclude the civil cases, the process of recovering from this painful incident continues. The detailed study of human anatomy through the dissection of the bodies of deceased individuals is an invaluable and indispensable part of medical and dental students’ education and in the ongoing training of surgical residents and other health care professionals. Our students are deeply respectful of and grateful to the donors and their families, and each year at the conclusion of their studies they hold a private memorial service to honor the donors. In a letter to family members and next of kin in July 2023 following news of the Cedric Lodge’s actions, our students wrote the following: “Newly minted medical students enter classrooms each August for a year of mostly lecture-based teaching. Time spent with donors is a rare opportunity to step out of the classroom and learn from our very first patients. It is in this sacred space that many students are shaped into nascent physicians, understanding the weight of the trust others put into the profession we are embarking on.” While we cannot rewrite the past events that brought us here, our students give us profound hope in the future. The next generation of physicians we are training will carry forward an enduring legacy of service and selflessness and will spread that generosity to every life they touch. - Sincerely, George Q. Daley Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Harvard University Bernard S. Chang Dean for Medical Education Harvard Medical School

Harvard University has agreed to pay a Rs 507 crore ($53 million) settlement to resolve civil lawsuits after a former morgue manager at the Harvard Medical School (HMS) admitted to stealing dissected human heads, brains, skin, hands, faces, and other organs before selling them on the black market. Cedric Lodge, 58, was sentenced to eight years in prison last December after he pleaded guilty to the accusations. HMS Dean George Daley and Dean for Medical Education Bernard Chang said Monday's settlement would allow Harvard and the complainants to avoid 'prolonged litigation'. “While Lodge's sentencing concludes the criminal case against him, and the class action settlement agreement, when fulfilled, would conclude the civil cases, the process of recovering from this painful incident continues,” Daley and Changwrote. The medical school said in a letter that multi-million-dollar settlement funds will be established for families once the court grants approval. "If approved, two class action settlement funds totaling $53 million will be established and a third-party administrator appointed to notify potential class members and distribute funds, a process HMS said is expected to take several months," read the statement. Affected families started filing lawsuits against Harvard in the summer of 2023, shortly after Lodge was indicted. The suits alleged negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and infliction of emotional distress. Also Read | Office Empty At 10 AM, Entrepreneur Blames Bengaluru Traffic For Killing Productivity Between 2018 and 2020, Lodge exploited his access to the morgue to remove body parts from cadavers that had already been used for academic purposes but had not yet been cremated, buried, or returned per the donor agreements. These remains, donated altruistically to the Harvard Anatomical Gift Programme, were taken without the knowledge or permission of Harvard, the donors, or their families. Lodge would transport the stolen remains from the morgue in Boston to his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire. He and his wife, Denise Lodge, then sold the body parts to buyers across state lines, sometimes shipping them directly and at other times allowing the buyers to pick them up in person. The trafficking network stretched across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania.

BOSTON, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Harvard University has agreed to pay $53 million to resolve lawsuits by families alleging it mishandled the bodies of loved ones donated to its medical school and whose parts were then sold on the black market by the former manager of its morgue. A state court judge in Boston on Tuesday preliminarily approved a class action settlement that would resolve lawsuits filed against the institution following the arrest in 2023 of Cedric Lodge, the former manager of Harvard Medical School's morgue. Sign up here. Lodge, who had worked in Harvard’s morgue for almost three decades, was sentenced by a federal judge in December to eight years in prison for stealing and selling organs and other parts of cadavers that were donated to the school for medical research and education. Prosecutors said that since 2018 he had been stealing parts from cadavers including heads, faces, brains, skin and hands and transporting them from Harvard's morgue in Boston to his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire, where he and his wife sold them. Dozens of relatives of individuals whose bodies were donated to Harvard filed lawsuits accusing the school of negligence, contending it turned a blind eye to Lodge's years-long misconduct until he was indicted in 2023. A judge initially dismissed the cases, but the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in October revived them, saying the plaintiffs had sufficient claims that Harvard failed to act in good faith in handling the bodies, whose "horrific and undignified treatment continued for years." George Daley, Harvard's dean of the faculty of medicine, and Bernard Chang, the dean for medical education at Harvard Medical School, said in a message to the school's community dated Monday that Lodge's conduct was "despicable, abhorrent, and a flagrant betrayal of our values as a medical community." They said the settlement, in addition to monetary provisions, included Harvard Medical School's pledge to provide a statement to the families via live webinar "confirming that Lodge’s criminal acts were morally reprehensible." Beginning in the 2027-2028 academic year, Harvard Medical School will also establish an annual scholarship for medical students in honor of all of its anatomical donors, the school said. "We hope that this resolution ensures that this never happens to another family ever again," John Morgan, whose law firm Morgan & Morgan represented families in the litigation, said in a statement. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Edmund Klamann Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

News Trump Is Probing Harvard’s China-Linked Financial Aid. Here’s What the Numbers Show. News 150 Harvard Alumni Affairs Staff Face Two-Day In-Office Mandate Amid Pushback News Garber Says Tenure Is Needed to Protect Unpopular Speech in D.C. Remarks News Garber Endorses Integrating AI Into Harvard Research and Teaching News Deming, Dozens of Harvard Affiliates Call for Research on AI’s Economic Impact Harvard agreed Monday to a $53 million settlement to resolve civil lawsuits accusing the school of negligence in its handling of donated human remains. The lawsuits stem from the conduct of Cedric Lodge, a former HMS morgue manager who was sentenced to eight years in prison in December for unlawfully transporting stolen human remains. Federal prosecutors said that between 2018 and August 2022, Lodge took organs, brains, faces, and other body parts from donated cadavers after they had been used for teaching and research but before they could be disposed of. He brought the remains to his New Hampshire home and sold them to buyers in several states, including Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Six co-conspirators who purchased remains from Lodge have since pleaded guilty and been sentenced. As part of the settlement, HMS will make a statement to claimant families via a live webinar affirming that Lodge’s conduct was “morally reprehensible” and inconsistent with Harvard’s standards, along with a summary of changes made to the Anatomical Gift Program. HMS will also establish an annual financial aid scholarship for medical students beginning in the 2027-2028 academic year, which the school said is intended “in appreciation and in honor of all of our anatomical donors.” In an email sent Monday to HMS and Harvard School of Dental Medicine affiliates, HMS Dean George Q. Daley ’82 and Dean for Medical Education Bernard S. Chang wrote that the agreement would allow Harvard and the plaintiffs to avoid “prolonged litigation.” “While Lodge’s sentencing concludes the criminal case against him, and the class action settlement agreement when fulfilled would conclude the civil cases, the process of recovering from this painful incident continues,” Daley and Chang wrote. Harvard and the plaintiffs are scheduled to ask Suffolk Superior Court for preliminary approval of the agreement Tuesday afternoon. If approved, two class action settlement funds totaling $53 million will be established and a third-party administrator appointed to notify potential class members and distribute funds — a process HMS said is expected to take several months. Civil suits against Harvard began in the summer of 2023, shortly after Lodge’s arrest became public, alleging that HMS failed to adequately oversee its Anatomical Gift Program and protect remains entrusted to it by donors and their families. The settlement would resolve those claims but is separate from Lodge’s criminal case, which addressed his individual conduct rather than the school’s oversight. An initial class action lawsuit estimated that between 350 and 400 donated cadavers may have been affected and accused Harvard of negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and infliction of emotional distress. Harvard moved to have the lawsuits dismissed in January 2024, arguing it had acted in “good faith” to honor donors’ wishes. A Suffolk Superior Court judge agreed, dismissing the claims, but the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court reversed that decision in October 2025, allowing the suits to proceed. Following Lodge’s indictment in 2023, the Office of President and Provost appointed three outside experts to conduct a review of the Anatomical Gift Program. The panel’s December 2023 report recommended changes across six areas — governance, policies, communications, specimens, collections, and facilities — with each area assigned to a senior faculty member or administrator to oversee. HMS said Monday that all of the panel’s recommendations have since been enacted. The school has also sought to reaffirm the role of anatomical donors in medical education. Students use donated bodies to study human anatomy and hold a private memorial service for donors at the conclusion of their studies each year. “These events do not reflect the reverence we hold for the altruistic individuals who selflessly donate their bodies to our Anatomical Gift Program,” Daley and Chang wrote Monday. “We reaffirm our deep sorrow and empathy for the families of donors who may have been impacted.” —Staff writer Riya S. Shah can be reached at [email protected] and on Signal at riyas.23. Follow her on X @RiyaShah233. Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter. Have a tip for The Crimson? Share it confidentially.

Harvard University has agreed to pay a $53 million (around Rs 507 crore) settlement to resolve lawsuits filed by families whose loved ones' bodies were allegedly mishandled and body parts stolen from its medical school morgue. The settlement comes after Harvard Medical School's former morgue manager, Cedric Lodge, pleaded guilty to stealing and selling human remains donated for scientific research, news agency AFP reported. Former morgue manager gets 8 years in prison Lodge, who managed Harvard Medical School's morgue before being fired in 2023, was sentenced to eight years in prison in December. Investigators said Lodge and his wife, Denise, took body parts from cadavers without the knowledge or permission of Harvard, the donors or their families. The remains were then shipped to buyers in other states as part of a scheme that prosecutors said operated from 2018 to 2021. Lodge and other co-conspirators who bought the stolen remains have also pleaded guilty. His wife was sentenced to a year in prison. Harvard calls acts 'despicable' and 'abhorrent' Harvard said it would seek the court's permission to establish two class-action settlement funds totalling $53 million. Harvard Medical School Dean George Daley and Dean for Medical Education Bernard Chang said the agreement would help provide support to affected families while avoiding prolonged litigation. They described Lodge's actions as "despicable" and "abhorrent", calling them a flagrant betrayal of the medical community's values. The university also expressed sorrow and empathy for the families of donors who may have been affected. Court gives preliminary approval A Boston state court judge reportedly granted preliminary approval to the settlement plan on Tuesday. Harvard said the process of distributing the funds is expected to take several months. The settlement also includes a commitment by the medical school to state claimant families condemning Lodge's criminal acts and outlining improvements made to its anatomical donation programme. Scholarship planned to honour anatomical donors Harvard Medical School will also establish an annual financial-aid scholarship beginning in the 2027-28 academic year in honour of its anatomical donors. While Lodge's criminal case and the proposed settlement move the long-running legal battle closer to an end, Harvard said the process of recovering from the incident continues.

Harvard University has agreed to pay $53 million to settle claims stemming from the theft and sale of body parts donated for scientific research, with a Boston court giving preliminary approval to the plan on Tuesday, US media reported. Cedric Lodge, who managed the morgue at Harvard Medical School before being fired in 2023, was sentenced to eight years in prison in December after pleading guilty to trafficking stolen human remains. Investigators said Lodge and his wife took body parts from the school "without the knowledge or permission of his employer, the donor, or the donor's family" and shipped them to buyers in other states beginning in 2018. Harvard said on Monday it would seek court approval to establish "two class action settlement funds totaling $53 million." "We are grateful to be working together with the plaintiffs to move forward in a way that prioritizes support for families and the (organ donation program) and avoids prolonged litigation," Harvard Medical School Dean George Daley and Dean for Medical Education Bernard Chang said in a letter. They described Lodge's actions as "despicable, abhorrent, and a flagrant betrayal of our values as a medical community." "We reaffirm our deep sorrow and empathy for the families of donors who may have been impacted," they said. Settlement includes reforms A Boston state court judge granted preliminary approval to the settlement plan on Tuesday, according to US media. Harvard said distributing the funds is expected to take several months. Lodge's wife, Denise, was previously sentenced to one year in prison. Six other people who bought remains from Lodge also pleaded guilty and received sentences. Harvard Medical School will establish an annual financial aid scholarship beginning in the 2027-28 academic year "in appreciation and in honor of all of our anatomical donors." The settlement also includes a pledge by the school to issue a statement to claimant families condemning Lodge's actions and outlining improvements made to its organ donation programme.

Support WBUR Harvard will pay $53 million to settle multiple lawsuits filed by families of those whose body parts may have been stolen from the medical school's morgue, the school announced in a letter to the community on Monday. The settlement also includes a pledge by Harvard Medical School to hold a live webinar with the families to "provide a statement" confirming that the thefts by the school's former morgue manager, Cedric Lodge, were "morally reprehensible and inconsistent with the standards that Harvard University and HMS expect for the treatment of anatomical donors and their loved ones." The letter, signed by HMS deans George Daley and Bernard Chang, said the school would also create a scholarship fund for medical students "in appreciation and in honor of all our anatomical donors." A Suffolk Superior Court judge on Tuesday granted preliminary approval of the settlement. A final approval settlement is scheduled for December. A Harvard Medical School spokesperson said they would not be granting interviews and provided no additional comment. The settlement agreement was first reported by the Harvard Crimson. Lodge, a longtime employee of Harvard Medical School, began stealing body parts from donors in the morgue in 2018, according to federal prosecutors. The scandal became public in June 2023 when Lodge and his wife were indicted for selling the body parts to collectors and traders across the country. The Lodges eventually pleaded guilty to charges of interstate transport of stolen goods — the goods being skin, brains and hearts removed from donors who had intended for their bodies to be studied by medical students. In December, Cedric Lodge was sentenced to eight years in prison, while Denise Lodge was sentenced to a year and a day. A slew of lawsuits followed Lodge's indictment. The suits were initially thrown out by a Suffolk Superior Court judge who agreed with Harvard that a state law governing body and organ donation protected it from any legal claims. The school insisted it had acted in "good faith" and wasn't aware of Lodge's activities, which went on for years. But last fall, the state's highest court revived the families' lawsuits. The Supreme Judicial Court wrote in its opinion that Harvard exhibited "extraordinary failure" in supervising Lodge. An attorney for some of the plaintiffs, Shannon Pennock of Morgan & Morgan, said in a statement Tuesday that the SJC decision made history. "As a result, anatomical gift programs will no longer be assured blanket immunity to these kinds of lawsuits," she said. "We are confident that anatomical gift programs across the state will be stronger because of them." As part of the settlement agreement, a third-party administrator will notify potential class members and distribute settlement funds, which could take several months. Harvard estimated there are 438 donors who left the morgue between 2018 and March 2023, when Lodge is accused of his crimes, according to court documents. After Lodge was indicted, Harvard named an outside panel to review the anatomical gift program and make recommendations. The panel found the school lacked formal policies and had little oversight of the morgue's day-to-day workings. Notably, the panel was not tasked with determining how Lodge may have carried out the thefts. Harvard released a summary of the findings, but withheld the full report from the public. The settlement requires Harvard to tell the donor families what kind of improvements have been made to the anatomical gift program.