Harvard Medical School has agreed to pay $53 million to settle multiple lawsuits alleging the institution failed to properly oversee its Anatomical Gift Program after its former morgue manager stole and sold donated human remains.

The proposed class action settlement was filed on Monday in Boston. It would resolve claims from families who said their loved ones' bodies, donated for medical research and teaching, were mishandled. Former morgue manager Cedric Lodge stole organs, brains, faces, and other body parts from cadavers between 2018 and August 2022 before selling them on the black market.

Lodge, who managed the program at Harvard Medical School, was fired in 2023 and later pleaded guilty to related federal charges. He received an eight-year prison sentence. Federal prosecutors said Lodge and others shipped the remains to buyers in multiple states without authorization from donors or their families.

Lawsuits against Harvard began in 2023 shortly after Lodge's arrest became public. Plaintiffs accused the school of negligence in supervising the program and protecting the remains entrusted to it. The cases faced initial dismissal before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court revived them last year.

Under the settlement terms, Harvard will establish two class action funds totaling $53 million for distribution to affected families. The school also committed to holding a webinar with families to acknowledge that the thefts were morally reprehensible and inconsistent with its standards. Harvard further plans to create a scholarship fund for medical students in honor of the anatomical donors.

The agreement is separate from Lodge's criminal case, which focused on his personal actions rather than the university's oversight. Distribution of the funds is expected to take several months once court approval is finalized.