ST. PAUL, Minn. — A longtime Macalester College professor faces a felony charge after allegedly urinating on a student’s backpack and belongings, causing more than $2,000 in damage, according to court documents and local reports.
Paul Fischer, who taught chemistry (and is sometimes described in coverage as a biology professor) at the private liberal arts college for more than 25 years, was charged with first-degree criminal damage to property. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.
The case stems from an incident on Dec. 5, 2025, in the Olin-Rice Science Center. A student left her backpack unattended for about six minutes in a common area outside Fischer’s office. When she returned, she found urine on the bag and its contents. She told investigators she believed Fischer was responsible because he was the only person nearby at the time. She submitted receipts totaling $2,070 in damaged items.
According to the criminal complaint, campus public safety had already investigated six reports of urine found around the science center between November 2024 and December 2025. The liquid was discovered in trash cans, students’ water bottles, and even decorations belonging to other professors.
When questioned by police, Fischer admitted he had developed a habit over the previous year and a half to two years of urinating into a cup and then disposing of the contents in trash cans or laboratory sinks around campus. He claimed the backpack incident was an accident—that he spilled a cup of urine while emptying it into a nearby trash can.
Students reacting to the news on campus described the allegations as shocking and intentional. Macalester sophomore Kayla Chapman said she had heard that someone was “peeing in specifically women’s water bottles or on their bags, especially after hours.” Other students called the behavior “gross,” “childish,” and “sinister,” with one saying it was “the weirdest” thing they had ever heard. Several noted it appeared to be an open secret on campus before the formal charges.
Macalester College confirmed that Fischer’s employment ended during the 2025–26 academic year. He resigned while the school’s investigation was underway. The college issued a brief statement acknowledging the criminal charge against him.
Fischer was charged by summons and is scheduled to make his first court appearance in early November in Ramsey County. No attorney was listed for him in early court filings, and attempts by local outlets to reach him for comment were unsuccessful.
The case has drawn widespread attention for the unusual nature of the alleged misconduct involving a veteran faculty member at the roughly 2,000-student college.
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