A lawsuit accusing Harvard University of complicity in the illegal sale of body parts from its morgue has been tossed by a judge. In what has been a shocking scandal, families alleged that the remains of donated loved ones were sold on the black market, with Harvard Medical School at the center of the controversy. According to NBC Boston, one family member, Paula Peltonovich, expressed her distress, saying, "To know somebody bought something of my father's, or multiple things of my father's," adding, "I want that back."
However, the families hoping for recourse from the institution received a blow when their cases were dismissed. The morgue manager, Cedric Lodge, is accused of participating in the morbid trade and is facing several criminal charges. Families brought suits against Harvard for accountability, but a Suffolk Superior Court judge found insufficient evidence that administrators were complicit, as reported by WHDH. The judge opined Harvard acted in good faith, assigning no liability to the university for their employee's alleged misconduct.
Peltonovich remains disheartened by the university's apparent immunity, asking, "How can Harvard just get away with this? I just don't understand." The judge's decision has left several families without the vindication they were seeking for the violation of their loved ones' remains. Harvard's legal team has not issued a comment.
The families' lawyer, Kathryn Barnett, questioned the university's oversight and, in a statement obtained by WHDH, argued, "Turning a knowing blind eye to a situation can be evidence of bad faith." The criminal aspect of the scandal continues with the former manager of the university's morgue facing federal charges. The families affected by the gruesome scandal are left grappling with their loss and the recent news that their attempts at obtaining justice through civil litigation has reached a dead end.
