Harvard University is seeking to shift blame in its infamous morgue scandal, essentially because they argue the university was not the one actually trafficking human body parts.
Instead, the university has put the blame on its employee, former Harvard Medical School morgue manager Cedric Lodge, 55, who is accused of stealing dissected portions of cadavers that were donated.
In Suffolk Superior Court on Friday afternoon, Harvard’s lawyers argued that all body trafficking allegations have been made directly against Lodge and not the university. They say that Lodge acted without the knowledge or permission of Harvard Medical School.
According to The Boston Globe, the scandal launched 11 lawsuits against Harvard from relatives of people who donated their bodies to the school’s anatomical gift program, which focuses on using donated body parts for medical research.
Prosecutors believe Harvard was aware of Lodge’s actions given his position and longevity of the suspected trafficking. According to Harvard’s website, Lodge worked at the morgue from February 1995 to May 2023 when he was fired.
An indictment, which was filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania on June 14, 2023, stated that Lodge stole organs and other body parts cadavers donated for medical research and education before their scheduled cremations from 2018 through 2022.
At times, Lodge took the stolen remains to his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire, where he and his wife, Denise Lodge, sold them over the phone or through social media, the indictment said.
Lodge also let buyers — including Katrina Maclean of Peabody and Joshua Taylor of West Lawn, Pennsylvania — enter the morgue and examine cadavers to choose what to purchase, the indictment read.
Other reasons why Harvard would have known about Lodge’s actions, according to prosecutors, included him taking two leaves of absence — one for six months — and that he a license plate that said “Grim Reaper.”
Prosecutors also claim that Lodge could not have acted without his employer, citing how an entity acts through its employees and that the two parties should not be separated. This is where Harvard disagreed.
“The master is ultimately responsible for the sins of the servant,” Douglas Snook, a lawyer who represents relatives of four people who donated their bodies to Harvard, told The Globe.
“Of course Harvard didn’t hire [Lodge] to sell body parts, but they were in charge of vetting him and overseeing him on a continuing basis,” he continued. “They didn’t know that it wasn’t going on for years?”
Harvard has also publicly condemned Lodge’s actions. In a letter published Dec. 7, 2023, Harvard said that Lodge’s actions did not align with the institution’s beliefs.
“Lodge’s alleged criminal acts, which involved the unlawful interstate transport of stolen human remains, are morally reprehensible and inconsistent with the standards that Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, our anatomical donors, and their loved ones expect and deserve,” the letter reads. “We reaffirm our deep sorrow for the continued uncertainty and distress that families face as the criminal proceedings continue.”
A report released by Harvard in December didn’t accuse Harvard Medical School of any wrongdoing, but its recommendations imply that the school’s morgue lacked formal documentation and procedures, and that the morgue’s three-person staff was subject to little oversight.
In the report, the three-person expert panel recommended that the morgue improve and broaden its record-keeping and cadaver-tracking systems, and that the university establish an operational committee and governing board to increase oversight of the morgue. It also suggested the school require ethics training for morgue employees and stringent employee screening, including background checks.
No other Harvard employees have been charged in connection with the case. The judge did not reach a decision by the end of the hearing Friday.
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