Fargo, North Dakota (trfnews.i234.me) – A shocking civil lawsuit involving a human torso, accusations of contract breach, and mismanaged medical waste disposal has ended with dismissal. On June 30, Monarch Waste Technologies dropped its lawsuit against Sanford Health and its subsidiary Health Environmental Services Inc. (HESI), alleging serious misconduct, including dropping off a human torso without consent.
The suit accused Sanford of breaching a lease agreement at the Fargo HESI facility, staging misleading photos, and delivering mislabeled hazardous waste, including the torso described by Monarch as discovered due to a “putrid smell.” Sanford countered that the torso was a medical research specimen for training and denied all wrongdoing.
A North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality probe found both Monarch and HESI violated waste handling rules. Meanwhile, Monarch’s North Dakota branch filed for bankruptcy in January 2024, leading to the trial being canceled. The court later dismissed Monarch’s bankruptcy motion, citing a failing pyrolysis system and no operating revenue.
Sanford says it’s secured a new waste disposal partner and emphasized, “These allegations were baseless.”
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.