The disclosure of an alleged human physique components trafficking operation related to the Harvard Medical School morgue’s fallout has begun with the submitting of a lawsuit in opposition to the varsity and the worker allegedly chargeable for these “deplorable acts.”
“The law recognizes that human beings are entitled to be treated with decency and dignity after death including by not having their bodies mishandled, viewed, dismembered, and/or sold by those entrusted with them,” the lawsuit filed Friday in Suffolk Superior Court states.
“Families who lose loved ones find solace in temporarily entrusting the bodies of their loved ones to an institution such as Harvard Medical School with the goal of furthering academic and medical research,” it continues. “The actions of the Harvard Medical School morgue manager in mishandling and selling the body parts of cadavers donated to the school was a reprehensible tragedy that should have never happened.”
The lawsuit, which seeks recognition as a category motion declare and a jury trial, was filed by lawyer Jeffrey Catalano and Jonathan Sweet of the Milton-based Keches Law Group, P.C. on behalf of John Bozek and “on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated.”
A Harvard Medical School spokesman mentioned the college “does not comment on pending litigation.”
Bozek, of Tewksbury, is the son of Adele Mazzone, who the lawsuit mentioned had organized to “temporarily donate her body to Harvard and HMS to further the study of science and medicine” previous to her demise on Feb. 5, 2019.
“Upon information and belief, the body of Adele Mazzone was one of the many donated cadavers mishandled at the HMS morgue by Defendant Cedric Lodge,” the lawsuit states.
Lodge, 55, of Goffstown, N.H., labored within the Harvard Medical School morgue. While this lawsuit and the indictment filed in federal court docket for Middle District of Pennsylvania — the place two others named on the indictment reside — discuss with Lodge as a “manager” of the morgue, Harvard mentioned on Wednesday that Lodge was an worker of the varsity’s anatomical presents program and didn’t truly handle every other staff.
The go well with alleges fees in opposition to Harvard of negligence, breach of fiduciary obligation, respondeat superior legal responsibility — a authorized time period which suggests holding the employer chargeable for negligible acts by its worker — negligent infliction of emotional misery, and undetermined violations of the state Consumer Protection Act, a regulation which Massachusetts defines as one which “protects people from unfair and misleading business actions.” That final rely heads an unfilled part marked “[RESERVED].”
The go well with ranges fees particularly in opposition to Lodge of negligence and negligent infliction of emotional misery.
The lawsuit seeks certification as a category motion with the putative class represented by plaintiff Bozek, recognition of lawyer Catalano and Sweet as the category’ authorized representatives, numerous damages and an order enjoining “the Defendants from continuing the unlawful practices which are the subject matter of this action.”
This is a growing story.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”