New Jersey
NJ’s William Paterson University lost professor’s 380-million-year-old fossils — which ended up in a Tenn. dump, lawsuit claims
He has an ancient bone to pick.
A professor is suing a New Jersey university after it allegedly caused his collection of 380-million-year-old fossils to end up in a Nashville landfill, ruining more than 18 years of work.
Martin Becker, a professor of environment science and a paleontologist at William Paterson University in Wayne, accused the school of negligence over failing to pay outstanding fees to UPS, which was supposed to transport about 200 of his fossils from the campus to Florida, NBC News reports.
Instead, the error caused Becker’s life work to be tossed out at a Tennessee dump, upending the “hundreds upon hundreds of hours” the paleontologist spent collecting rare ancient fossils from the Devonian period of the Paleozoic Era on New Jersey’s High Mountain.
“Plaintiff’s assemblage of the fossils is the most unique and comprehensive collection of marine fossils ever reported in Northern New Jersey,” the lawsuit states.
“The fossil assemblage was an integral part of plaintiff’s life and all aspects of his career, and was a critical factor in plaintiff’s good name and stupendous reputation at William Paterson and the fields of paleontology and geology,” it added.
Becker’s nightmare began on June 18, 2024, when he packed his 200-fossile collection inside 19 separate boxes to be sent off from the university’s mailroom to a colleague in Florida for a collaborative project.
The packages were handed off to mailroom supervisor Raymond Boone, who was also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, with UPS picking up the boxes that same day, according to the lawsuit.
Boone allegedly told Becker he would receive tracking and insurance information from UPS, but Becker says he never received the documents.
When the professor learned that the fossils never arrived in Florida, he made multiple calls to the mailroom and finally received tracking information on Aug. 20, according to the suit.
It allegedly showed that the packages were still in New Jersey, and Becker said he repeatedly contacted Boone to resolve whatever issue was stalling the delivery.
By Sept. 20, Boon told Becker the fossils might have been held up by the UPS fraud department, according to the lawsuit.
Becker went on to contact UPS directly 10 days later, learning that his packages were intercepted because the university’s account had been canceled over its failure to pay outstanding invoices, the lawsuit states.
The school’s account had already been canceled on April 24, with Boone knowing about the lapse by July 8 despite telling Becker at the time that he was “working on the issue,” according to the lawsuit.
Becker is accusing the school and Boone of negligence and breaching their duty of care over his fossils for failing to pay the UPS invoices and for shipping his packages before the issue was resolved.
Becker also claims Boone was unfit for his job at the mailroom and alleges William Paterson was negligent in hiring him.
Becker is seeking unspecified damages for his lost collection, as well as medical expenses for the distress the whole ordeal has caused him, according to the suit.
Boone and William Paterson University did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
The 2026 New Jersey high school softball season has come to an end. Now is the time to answer the question: Who should be the New Jersey Softball Player of the Year?
Here are High School on SI’s New Jersey Softball Players of the Year for 2026. Scroll down to read about the list and cast your vote below.
Voting ends Sunday, July 5th, at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Madison McDougall, St. John Vianney
McDougall was named Gatorade New Jersey Softball Player of the Year after leading St. John Vianney to a perfect season and the Non-Public A state championship. The senior and Monmouth commit went 29-0 with a 0.30 ERA and 312 strikeouts in the circle, along with a .626 batting average and 17 home runs at the plate.
Gabby Gonzalez, St. John Vianney
Gonzalez also helped the Lancers go undefeated in softball. The senior and FIU commit batted .500 with 51 hits, 43 RBIs, 12 home runs, 13 doubles, and 35 runs.
Brooke Douglas, Ocean City
Douglas led Douglas to the South Jersey Group 3 championship. The senior and Rhode Island commit batted .543 with 51 hits, 42 RBIs, 12 home runs, seven doubles, two triples, and 25 runs.
Mackenna Savage, Red Bank Catholic
Savage put up impressive numbers for Red Bank Catholic in 2026. The sophomore notched 15 wins in the circle with a 1.43 ERA and 286 strikeouts in 176.2 innings pitched.
Jordyn Ambrosius, West Deptford
Ambrosius stepped up for West Deptford this past season. The junior went 15-7 with a 1.75 ERA and 247 strikeouts in 143.2 innings pitched.
Audrey Amoruso, Indian Hills
Amoruso led Indian Hills to its second straight state sectional title. In the circle, the senior and Fordham commit went 20-5 with a 1.01 ERA, 248 strikeouts, and 32 walks in 159.2 innings pitched. At the plate, she batted .476 with 26 RBIs and four home runs.
Gemma DeJoseph, Delran
DeJoseph was very impressive for Delran in 2026. The sophomore led the state with 62 hits, while batting .620 with 48 RBIs, three home runs, 14 doubles, and 37 runs.
Jillian Cianfrocca, Mount St. Dominic
Cianfrocca led Mount St. Dominic to the Non-Public A state finals. The senior and Villanova commit hit .534 with 47 hits, 54 RBIs, 16 home runs, 15 doubles, and 54 runs.
Ava Kelshaw, Mount St. Dominic
Kelshaw also played a major role for a strong Lions team. The junior and Michigan commit notched an impressive 26 wins in the circle with a 0.63 ERA and 257 strikeouts. Additionally, she batted .388 with 33 RBIs.
Chloe Jacobson, Summit
Jacobson played a pivotal role on a strong Summit team in 2026. The sophomore hit .553 with 52 hits, 54 RBIs, 15 home runs, 10 doubles, and 39 runs.
Gylian Hixenbaugh, Donovan Catholic
Hixenbaugh was very solid for Donovan Catholic this past season. The junior and Dartmouth commit went 17-3 with a 1.86 ERA, 161 strikeouts, and 21 walks in 128 innings pitched.
Ella Redheffer, Clearview
Redheffer led Clearview to the South Jersey Group 3 finals. The sophomore stepped up by batting .583 with 56 hits, 40 RBIs, six home runs, 17 doubles, 48 runs, and 26 stolen bases.
About Our Athlete of the Week Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.
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Yellowcard played the Stone Pony Summer Stage on Friday June 12th. It was an astounding set. The band performed nineteen tracks from every era and iteration of the band. It was a special night for anyone who is a fan.
Openers Plain White T’s and New Found Glory also deserve special credit for fitting the bill flawlessly. It was the perfect way to set the stage for the show to come. Both bands have a strong stage presence and were able to captures the crowd’s full attention.
Yellowcard opened with a video of the Paramount stars. They continued their set by playing interlude snippets of other major movies such as “Back To The Future,” “Top Gun,” “The Goonies,” and the “Ghostbusters.” It really felt like we were watching a cinematic experience as well as a concert. The production was second to none. There was even pyro during certain moments of the show.
The band played six tracks off their new album Better Days. This was a huge highlight of the show. Better Days is not only the best Yellowcard album since Ocean Avenue, it’s one of the best pop-punk releases of the decade. The band worked tightly with Travis Barker, Avril Lavigne, and Alkaline Trio to enhance all aspects of the genre. The new tracks warranted even more of a reception than older tracks. We were truly watching a band in their prime.
Overall, Yellowcard are showing us the new heights bands can reach within the pop-punk genre. Their breakup and triumphant return displays to us that anything is possible. Please enjoy our gallery below from photographer Anthony Vito Cosentino.
Plain White T’s
New Found Glory
Yellowcard
All Photos by Anthony Vito Cosentino
From Camden and Cherry Hill to Trenton and the Jersey Shore, what about life in New Jersey do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know.
The borough of Lawnside in Camden County will be honored with a historical marker from the New Jersey Historical Commission as part of the state’s Black Heritage Trail.
A ceremony unveiling the marker will take place at 10 a.m. Friday at Lawnside Borough Hall on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Road.
Marsharee Wright, aide to Lawnside Mayor Mary Ann Wardlow and long-time resident, said everyone is thrilled about the marker unveiling.
“We’ve invited the entire community and neighboring towns to come share the celebration with us,” Wright said.
Linda Shockley, president of the Lawnside Historical Society, said it’s “an extreme honor” for the borough to be included in the state’s program, especially as Lawnside is amid a year-long celebration of its centennial.
“It really lifts our profile and hopefully more people will understand and know what Lawnside is about and what it means in the nation,” Shockley said.
Lawnside was one of six sites selected in Camden County in 2024, including “The Point,” a historic Black neighborhood in Haddonfield. Its marker was unveiled last June.
During the ceremony, the borough’s history will be showcased, along with the original documents signed by Gov. A. Harry Moore in 1926, which made way for the borough’s creation.
Though there are many Black enclaves in South Jersey, the borough is the state’s only incorporated antebellum Black community. First known as Free Haven, and later Snow Hill, it was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Peter Mott built a three-floor dwelling in 1844 that was once part of sprawling farmland where he helped slaves escape.
Mott’s house, now owned by the Lawnside Historical Society, serves as an Underground Railroad museum.
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