$53M Harvard Morgue Settlement: How Donor Families Can Claim

What happened

Class period: Primary Settlement Class: January 1, 2018 through March 31, 2023. Pre-2018 Settlement Class: January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2017.

• People donated their bodies to the Harvard Anatomical Gift Program to support medical education and research
• The lawsuit claims the Settling Defendants failed to protect donated remains, which allowed others to improperly remove, dismember, and sell some of those remains
• The lawsuit says this caused families emotional distress and uncertainty about what happened to their loved ones' remains
• The Settling Defendants, President and Fellows of Harvard College and Mark F. Cicchetti, deny the claims, and the Court has not decided who is right
• The proposed settlement totals $53 million: $52.5 million for the Primary Settlement Class and $500,000 for the Pre-2018 Settlement Class
• Harvard will also hold a live webinar statement for claimant families, share a summary of changes to the program's oversight and security, and create an AGP Donors Scholarship
• The case is Nicole MacTaggart, et al. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College, et al. (In re Harvard Morgue Cases), Case No. 2384CV01389-BLS2, Suffolk County Superior Court, Massachusetts

What you can get

Key dates

Who may qualify

• You are the spouse or registered domestic partner, child, parent, or sibling of a Donor
• Or you are the designee named in the Donor's Instrument of Anatomical Gift
• Or Harvard sent you a letter about this matter on or about June 14, 2023 and/or December 7, 2023
• Or you are a grandchild of a Donor whose remains left the Harvard Morgue between January 1, 2018 and March 31, 2023
• Or you are a named Plaintiff in one of the consolidated cases
• The Donor's remains left the Harvard Morgue for cremation or burial between January 1, 2003 and March 31, 2023
• You are not a Defendant, a released party, Cedric Lodge, Denise Lodge, or a judge on the case or their immediate family

How to file

1. Go to the official online Claim Form, which is the fastest way to file
2. Or download the Claim Form from the settlement website and mail it to Harvard Morgue Settlement, c/o Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 25191, Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
3. Or email info@HarvardMorgueSettlement.com to request a paper Claim Form
4. Submit your completed, signed Claim Form by December 9, 2026
5. If you object to the settlement, you must still file a Claim Form to get paid

Proof required

• No supporting documents are listed as required on the settlement website
• You must submit a completed, signed Claim Form

Payment timing

If the Court approves the settlement and there are no delays, payments are expected within 60 days after the settlement becomes effective. The Court may not approve the settlement on the hearing date, and payments may be delayed for other reasons. Check the settlement website for updates.

Important links

• Official website
• Claim form
• Important dates
• FAQs
• Documents

Contact

Extra details

• Payments are figured in two steps: each net fund is divided equally by the number of Donors with valid claims, then that amount is split among claimants based on their relationship to the Donor; see the Plan of Allocation on the documents page for examples
• Class Counsel will ask for attorneys' fees up to one-third of the settlement ($17,666,666.67), plus reasonable expenses
• The settlement website lists only two options besides filing a claim: object or do nothing; no opt-out option is listed
• If the Court approves the settlement, your right to sue the Settling Defendants over these issues is released even if you do not file a claim
• To object, file a written objection with the Civil Clerk's Office, Suffolk Superior Court, Three Pemberton Square, Boston, MA 02108, and send copies to Class Counsel, received or postmarked by November 16, 2026; include the name of the Donor connected to you
• The Final Approval Hearing is December 9, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. EST in Courtroom 1017, Suffolk Superior Court; the date or time may change without notice
• The claim deadline and the hearing are on the same day, so do not wait until the last minute
• Class Counsel can be reached at (888) 619-5032 or hmsclass@kecheslaw.com, at no cost
• Watch for scams: use only the official settlement website

FAQ

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