Harvard says it's not to blame for medical-school body-part sales, so asks judge to drop it from Grim Reaper suits

WBUR reports that Harvard has asked a judge to remove it from negligence suits brought by survivors of people whose bodies may have had parts removed for sale by the now former manager of the morgue at Harvard Medical School.

In its answer to several suits, Harvard says it's exempt from liability under a state law related to body donations because, unlike Cedric Lodge, allegedly, the school as a whole was acting in "good faith" when it accepted the bodies for use by medical students and researchers.

Lodge, along with several collectors of human parts, faces federal criminal charges for allegedly selling off various parts after bodies were used dissections and other legitimate purposes but before they were sent to a Roslindale crematorium.

Harvard officials say they were as shocked as anybody else at Lodge's arrest, but say that "any liability that attaches to Lodge for his alleged criminal activity attaches to him alone."

The judge overseeing the nine consolidated lawsuits has yet to rule on Harvard's request, filed Nov. 22.

Harvard and Lodge also face at least one suit filed in federal court.

Harvard's request to be dropped as a defendant (9.8M PDF).