Campus News

Harvard Med School Slapped With Another Lawsuit Over Human Remains Sold On Black Market

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Another family is suing Harvard Medical School for damages and class action status after an operation to sell human remains from the university morgue on the black market was discovered, according to the lawsuit.

Attorneys for Anne Weiss filed the lawsuit against Harvard on Thursday in Suffolk County Superior Court. Weiss, whose father’s remains were donated to the medical school, alleges that Harvard failed to conduct adequate background checks for employees and to “protect” the human remains that were donated for research and educational purposes, according to the court document.

“This lawsuit arises from the Defendant Harvard Medical School’s failure to effectively screen, monitor, and supervise their employee to protect the dignity and integrity of donated human remains and ensure those remains were utilized for the exclusive purposes for which they were donated, namely research and medical training,” the lawsuit reads. “As a direct result of Harvard’s failures, the Plaintiff and many other families have been confronted with the almost incomprehensible prospect that their loved ones’ remains were sold as commodities, to be traded, displayed and in some cases converted into jewelry, dolls, and other common products.”

Six people were indicted in June in connection with a smuggling ring that traded human remains from the university morgue. Cedric Lodge, who was responsible for managing the morgue, and his wife allegedly sold the stolen remains via social media, and he allegedly allowed customers to access the morgue to handpick which bodies they wanted.

The lawsuit is seeking class-action status, as well as compensatory damages for the families in an amount that will be determined by the court, according to the lawsuit.

“We look forward to litigating this case on behalf of our client, whose father’s remains were entrusted to Harvard Medical School to further medical education,” Weiss’ attorneys, Joe Sauder of Sauder Schelkopf and Bryan Lentz of Bochetto & Lentz, said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “This was consistent with his life as a dedicated pediatrician. Harvard Medical School failed him, his family and everyone impacted by these horrific acts.”

The lawsuit is one of several that have been filed against the university on behalf of families affected by the trafficking ring.

Approximately 150 people signed on to a class action lawsuit in June against the university, according to CBS News. Attorneys at Morgan & Morgan also filed a June lawsuit in Suffolk County Superior Court on behalf of three families affected by the case, according to the Boston Globe.

Harvard Medical School referred the DCNF to a June statement from the dean of the school.

“Due to the ongoing criminal investigation and litigation, we are unable to provide further information at this time,” the school told the DCNF. 

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to include comment from Weiss’ attorneys and Harvard Medical School.