Relatives and designees of donors to the Harvard Anatomical Gift Program whose bodies left the Harvard morgue between 2003 and March 2023 may claim a share of a $53 million settlement over the alleged mishandling of donated remains. Claims are due December 9, 2026.
Current Status
Claims are open. Claim forms must be submitted online or postmarked by December 9, 2026. Objections are due November 16, 2026. Suffolk Superior Court granted preliminary approval in August 2026 and will hold the final approval hearing at 2:00 p.m. on December 9, 2026, the same day claims close. Payments are expected within 60 days after the settlement becomes effective, and no payment date had been set as of October 8, 2026.Free settlement alerts
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What Changed Recently?
The court-authorized settlement website, run by the administrator Simpluris, is now live with the notice, claim form, settlement agreement and allocation plan. The case, MacTaggart v. President and Fellows of Harvard College (In re Harvard Morgue Cases), No. 2384CV01389-BLS2, was brought by family members of donors to the Harvard Anatomical Gift Program after a former Harvard Medical School morgue manager was charged in 2023 with selling donated remains. The families allege Harvard failed to safeguard the remains. Harvard and the other settling defendant deny the allegations, and the court has not decided who is right.Which Donor Families May Qualify?
Eligibility depends on the relationship to the donor and on the date the donor’s body left the Harvard morgue for cremation or burial (the “Removal Receipt Date”):- Primary Settlement Class: donors whose bodies left the morgue from January 1, 2018 through March 31, 2023.
- Pre-2018 Settlement Class: donors whose bodies left the morgue from January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2017.
In either class, a claimant must be the donor’s living spouse or registered domestic partner, child, parent or sibling; the person the donor named in the Instrument of Anatomical Gift; a person to whom Harvard addressed a letter about the case on or about June 14, 2023 or December 7, 2023; or a named plaintiff. Grandchildren qualify only in the Primary class. Claims can be filed only for living class members, and a parent or guardian can file for a minor or incapacitated person. The defendants, released parties, Cedric and Denise Lodge, and the judges on the case are excluded.
How Much Could Families Receive?
The settlement creates two funds: $52.5 million for the Primary class and $500,000 for the Pre-2018 class. Class counsel will ask for attorneys’ fees of up to one-third of the total (about $17.67 million) plus expenses, which come out of the funds before payments. There is no fixed payment per person. Under the allocation plan, each net fund is first divided equally among all donors for whom at least one approved claim is filed, and each donor’s share is then divided among that donor’s approved claimants using allocation units based on relationship. Closer relatives, such as a surviving spouse or children, form an “inner circle” that receives at least 75% of the donor’s share.Harvard also agreed to a live webinar for claimant families with a statement from the Dean for Medical Education condemning the criminal conduct, a summary of changes to the program’s oversight, security and training, and a scholarship for a medical student in honor of anatomical donors.
What Proof or Notice ID Is Required?
The claim form asks for the claimant’s contact information, the donor’s name and the claimant’s relationship, and a Login ID only if known. It requires supporting documentation of the claimant’s identity and class membership, which may include government-issued ID, official documents showing the relationship to the donor (such as death certificates, birth certificates, a will or domestic partnership records), Anatomical Gift Program paperwork, or a description of the relationship with verifiable non-legal records such as an obituary or family records. The administrator may ask for more information.What Is the Deadline?
Claims must be submitted online or postmarked by December 9, 2026. Objections must be filed with the court and sent to class counsel so they are received or postmarked by November 16, 2026. The notice does not describe a way to opt out; class members who do nothing receive no payment but are bound by the settlement if it is approved.How Do You Take Action?
Claims are filed through the official Harvard Morgue Settlement website, which also offers a printable claim form for mailing. The settlement documents are posted there, including the notice and the allocation plan.What Happens Next?
The court will consider final approval and the fee request at a hearing at 2:00 p.m. on December 9, 2026, in Courtroom 1017 at Suffolk Superior Court in Boston; the date may change without notice. If the settlement is approved and there are no delays, payments are expected within 60 days after it becomes effective.Sources and Verification
• Harvard Morgue Settlement — official website and FAQ (Simpluris)• Claim Form, Settlement Agreement and Allocation Plan
• Harvard Medical School — August 17, 2026 program update
• Court filing — August 17, 2026 memorandum supporting preliminary approval (PDF)
• WBUR — August 18, 2026 preliminary approval report
Questions
Who can file a claim in the Harvard morgue settlement?
Living spouses or registered domestic partners, children, parents and siblings of Harvard Anatomical Gift Program donors, the person the donor named in the Instrument of Anatomical Gift, people Harvard wrote to about the case around June 14 or December 7, 2023, and named plaintiffs, if the donor's body left the Harvard morgue between January 1, 2003 and March 31, 2023. Grandchildren qualify only in the Primary class, for donors whose bodies left the morgue from January 1, 2018 through March 31, 2023.
What is the deadline to file a Harvard morgue settlement claim?
December 9, 2026. Claims can be filed online at the settlement website or mailed with a postmark by that date. Objections are due November 16, 2026.
What documents does the Harvard settlement claim form require?
The claim form requires proof of the claimant's identity and class membership, such as government ID, documents showing the relationship to the donor like birth or death certificates, a will or partnership records, Anatomical Gift Program paperwork, or a description of the relationship with non-legal records such as an obituary.
Does each family receive $53 million?
No. That is the combined total of two funds: $52.5 million for the Primary class and $500,000 for the Pre-2018 class. After fees and costs, each fund is divided equally among the donors for whom at least one approved claim is filed, and each donor's share is then split among that donor's approved claimants by relationship.
Can I opt out of the Harvard morgue settlement?
The notice gives three options: file a claim, object, or do nothing. It does not describe a way to opt out, and it says class members who do nothing receive no payment but are still bound by the settlement if it is approved.
