Massachusetts
Body parts trafficking case: Massachusetts judge dismisses claims against Harvard
A Suffolk Superior Court judge dismissed the combined family lawsuit against Harvard University related to a human body parts trafficking ring connected to its medical school morgue.
The suit combined 12 separate lawsuits filed on behalf of relatives of people who donated their bodies to the Harvard Medical School Anatomical Gifts program, in which the bodies would be used to train future doctors at the renowned school. The judge dismissed the claims against Harvard University as well as the managers of the Anatomical Gifts Program — March Cicchetti and Tracey Fay.
Most of the suits also targeted Cedric Lodge, the former morgue manager at the heart of the disturbing allegations, and some other defendants. Complaints can stand against Lodge and non-Harvard Medical School-related defendants.
Superior Court Justice Kenneth W. Singer, in his Monday ruling, wrote that he allowed Harvard University’s motions to dismiss the claims “because the factual allegations in the complaints do not plausibly suggest that these Harvard Defendants failed to act in good faith in receiving and handling the donated bodies, or that they are legally responsible for Mr. Lodge’s alleged misconduct.”
The chief plaintiff lawyer in the now-dismissed suit, which combined 12 lawsuits representing 47 plaintiffs, promised in a statement that she would appeal the decision.
“We are disappointed in the Court’s decision. These families have had to relive the trauma of losing their loved ones many times over, and we strongly believe that they deserve a day in court,” attorney Kathryn Barnett, of national law firm Morgan & Morgan, said. “We will appeal this ruling and keep fighting for them to win justice.”
A Harvard Medical School spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. The school has previously said that it does not comment on pending litigation and the criminal suit against Lodge and others is still pending in federal court.
Justice Singer, across the 18-page document, argues that even if every allegation brought in the complaints were factually true, Harvard itself has wide protections under the 1971 Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, which governs the system of anatomical gifts in Massachusetts and was last revised in 2012.
“The Harvard Defendants are entitled to dismissal of all claims against them because those claims are barred by the UAGA grant of qualified statutory immunity so long as the Harvard Defendants made a good faith attempt to comply with the requirements of the UAGA,” Singer writes, “… the facts alleged also make clear that the Harvard Defendants are not vicariously liable for the alleged misconduct of the former manager of the HMS morgue, and thus cannot lose their qualified immunity based on his bad acts.”
The allegations against Lodge and five others in the accused body parts trafficking ring were disclosed last June by the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, in a suit claiming the existence of a “nationwide network of individuals bought and sold human remains stolen from Harvard Medical School and an Arkansas mortuary.”
Prosecutors in the federal suit say that Lodge from 2018 through 2022 would even let potential buyers into the school to look at body’s and select parts to buy. It is in these type of actions that Singer says Lodge acted well outside the scope of his employment.
“The plaintiffs’ factual allegations do not plausibly suggest that Lodge’s actions in marketing, stealing, and selling human body parts were motivated, even in small part, by a purpose to serve the interests of HMS,” Singer wrote. “To the contrary, Lodge’s horrifying scheme was allegedly undertaken for purely personal gain and could not possibly have been of any benefit to HMS or furthered the interests of HMS in any way. Plaintiffs therefore may not rely upon Lodge’s alleged misconduct to defeat Harvard’s qualified immunity.”
Courtesy / Suffolk Superior Court filing
Harvard Medical School Anatomical Gift Program morgue employee Cedric Lodge. (Courtesy / Suffolk Superior Court filing) Courtesy / Morgan and Morgan law firm
Marshall Joletta, center, is seen with is family before his death in November 2017. He donated his body to Harvard Medical School. (Courtesy / Morgan and Morgan law firm) Courtesy / Morgan and Morgan law firm
Doreen Gordon, Brookline’s “cookie lady,” died in November 2018 and donated her body to Harvard Medical School. (Courtesy / Morgan and Morgan law firm)

Massachusetts
Massachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
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Massachusetts
How will the Iran war impact gas prices in Massachusetts?
With a widening conflict in the Middle East after the American and Israeli attack on Iran Saturday, global markets are bracing for a shakeup in the energy supply chain.
So, here at home, what can consumers expect at the gas pump?
An increase in oil prices is almost always followed by an increase in gas prices. And the oil market has already reacted to the war. NBC News reported on Sunday that U.S. crude oil initially spiked more than 10%, while Brent, the international oil benchmark, rose as much as 13%.
Early Monday morning, reports were coming in of black smoke rising from the U.S. embassy in Kuwait City.
While Iran’s oil reserves supply less than an estimated 5% of global production, the main concern is the Strait of Hormuz. This maritime passageway borders Iran at the bottleneck of the Persian Gulf, and more than 20% of the world’s oil passes through. If Iran closes or restricts Hormuz, the oil market could face severe disruptions.
Gas prices rise about 2.5 cents for every dollar increase in crude oil prices. As of Sunday, U.S. crude oil prices had already increased by nearly $5 a barrel.
“I fully expect that by Monday night, you could credibly say that gas prices are being impacted by oil prices having gone up,” GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan told NBC News.
GasBuddy characterizes their expectations for price increases as “incremental” rather than “explosive”. The group said to anticipate a potential 10-15 cent increase over the next couple of weeks.
Massachusetts
Body camera video shows Massachusetts police officer save 78-year-old man from burning truck – East Idaho News
EASTON, Mass. (WBZ) — Police body camera video shows an Easton, Massachusetts, officer rescuing a 78-year-old Raynham man from a burning car on Friday morning.
A Mack dump truck was experiencing problems on the side of Turnpike Street just after 2 a.m. when a Ford pickup truck struck the back of it, according to police.
The pickup truck then became stuck under the dump truck, trapping the driver, Francis Leverone, inside. A Toyota Camry then hit the back of the pickup truck and caught fire, police said.
Easton police officer Dean Soucie arrived at the crash and saw that the two vehicles were on fire. Video shows Soucie rushing over before breaking the driver’s side window and then, with the help of the two witnesses, freeing Leverone from the pickup truck. Soucie said he was confused but conscious.
“As I reached inside the vehicle, one of the passersby — he actually jumped into the cab of the truck, and he helped me free the individual,” Soucie said.
They then carried the driver to safety.
Leverone was taken to a nearby hospital before being transferred to a Boston hospital. He received serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
No one else was injured in the crash.
Dee Leverone told WBZ her husband is doing OK. “I’m just thankful for the people that got him out,” she said. “Very thankful.”
After watching the police body-cam video on the news she said, “I was shocked, I was like ‘Oh my God!’ I just couldn’t believe it. His truck is like melted.”
She says she realized that something was wrong last night when her husband never made it home from work.
“I kept trying to call him and call him, and I finally got a hold of him at like 4:30 a.m., and he was at (Good Samaritan Hospital) and he told me he’s gotten in an accident,” Dee said.
She says he’s recovering at the Boston Medical Center and being treated for a dislocated hip.
“He’s a trooper,” Dee said. “He’s a strong man — and you know he’s 78, but you know he’s a toughie. He definitely is a toughie.”
Soucie commended the help of the two witnesses and said that before he arrived at the crash, they had attempted to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher and removed a gasoline tank from the pickup truck before it could ignite.
“They jumped into action like it was nothing,” Soucie said. “Those two individuals were absolutely awesome.”
Easton Police Chief Keith Boone said that he is “extremely proud” of Soucie and the witnesses.
“He saved a life last night,” Chief Boone said. “He is an exemplary police officer and this is just one example. I think he’s a hero.”
Turnpike Street was closed for several hours following the crash. Easton Police are investigating.
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