Harvard Morgue Settlement

What happened

Plaintiffs allege that Harvard failed to safeguard donated remains, allowing others to improperly remove, dismember, and sell some of those remains, causing emotional distress and uncertainty about loved ones' remains. Harvard denies the allegations and the Court has not decided who is right. The parties reached a proposed $53 million settlement.

Do you qualify?

You may be eligible if you are a spouse, registered domestic partner, child, parent, sibling, or person designated on the Instrument of Anatomical Gift of a donor whose body left the Harvard Morgue for cremation or burial between January 1, 2003 and March 31, 2023. Grandchildren of donors whose bodies left between January 1, 2018 and March 31, 2023 also qualify, as do people who received a Harvard letter about the lawsuit on or about June 14, 2023 or December 7, 2023, and named plaintiffs.

What the settlement pays

Cash payment upon valid Claim Form; amount not stated.

Paid from a $53M settlement fund. Individual amounts depend on how many valid claims are filed.

How to file

Submit a claim form online through the settlement website or by mail to the Settlement Administrator by December 9, 2026. The page does not state what specific information or documents are required.