Professor Martin Becker of New Jersey's William Paterson University shipped 19 boxes of fossils to a colleague in Florida — then they were dumped in a Tennessee landfill by UPS because the university failed to make their payments.
William Paterson UniversityMartin Becker, the William Paterson University professor who filed a lawsuit after his fossils were dumped in a landfill.
New Jersey’s William Paterson University is being sued by one of its professors for neglecting to pay their UPS bills — which eventually resulted in the professor’s rare collection of prehistoric fossils being dumped in a landfill.
The collection belonged to paleontologist and professor of environmental science Martin Becker, who spent decades of his career collecting Devonian Age marine invertebrate fossils from the High Mountain area of Wayne, New Jersey. Last June, Becker packaged 200 of these fossils — 80 percent of his collection — in 19 boxes to be shipped off to a colleague in Florida for a collaborative project.
He brought the boxes to William Paterson University’s mailroom, but according to the lawsuit, the university never paid their shipping bills, prompting UPS to deposit the fossils in a Tennessee dump. Now, the university is at the center of a lawsuit, with mailroom supervisor Raymond Boone also named as a defendant.
Becker cited the “destruction of his life’s work” and emotional distress as the basis for the suit.
How Professor Martin Becker Lost His Priceless Collection Of Prehistoric Fossils
NJ Spotlight NewsSome of the 380-million-year-old fossils in Martin Becker’s collection.
According to the lawsuit, Martin Becker’s fossil collection was “the most unique and comprehensive collection of marine fossils ever reported in Northern New Jersey.” The suit further asserts that these fossils were critical to Becker’s teaching and career, and that he and a colleague in Florida had been collaborating on a “comprehensive monograph” that included his fossils.
As part of that collaboration, Becker took 19 boxes containing 200 fossils to the mailroom at William Paterson University on June 18, 2024. The suit states that Becker handed the packages directly over to Boone, who told Becker that he would keep him up to date with tracking and insurance information. UPS picked up the packages later that same day.
Weeks passed, however, and Becker’s colleague never received the fossils. A few weeks turned into two months, and Becker once again reached out to Boone, who told him he was “working on the issue” with UPS. Becker received a tracking number for the shipment on August 16, which showed him that the packages were in Parsippany, New Jersey.
William Paterson UniversityMartin Becker (left) with colleague Michael Griffiths.
At the end of the month, Becker still had not received updates on the shipment and was told once again by Boone that he was “working on the issue.” Come September 20, Boone told Becker that the packages may have wound up with UPS’ fraud department. So, 10 days later, Becker followed up with UPS directly.
On September 30, Becker learned that the packages had indeed been intercepted and confiscated by UPS’ fraud department — because the university had failed to pay multiple invoices to keep their UPS account in good standing. Apparently, Becker discovered, the university’s account had been canceled back in April 2024, yet they had failed to do anything about it.
No exact details were provided, but the lawsuit says the packages were dumped at an “unidentified landfill somewhere in or around Nashville, Tennessee.” The suit further states that Boone was aware of the canceled UPS account since at least July 8 because of notices from UPS and other confiscated packages.
Martin Becker Is Now Seeking Compensation From William Paterson University
NJ Spotlight NewsBecker spent “hundreds upon hundreds of hours” collecting and studying the fossils he’s now lost, according to the suit.
The suit further claims that the university was aware that Boone was unfit for his role but operated negligently in letting him retain it. The university’s website currently lists both Becker and Boone as employees.
In filing the lawsuit, Becker is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, attorney’s fees, lawsuit costs, and medical expenses that arose due to emotional distress. The suit referred to the fossil collection as “invaluable and extraordinarily unique,” noting that Becker had spent “a significant portion of his career” studying and collecting them.
Neither Becker nor Boone have responded to requests for comment, though Marybeth Zeman, senior director of public relations at William Paterson, did tell NorthJersey.com that the university was not aware of the lawsuit.
After reading about Martin Becker’s lost fossils, read about the 890-million-year-old fossils that might just be the oldest ever discovered. Then, learn about some of the most astonishing animals of the prehistoric era.
