Macalester College Professor's 25-Year Career Ends in Scandal After Allegedly Urinating on Student's Backpack

Former Macalester College professor Paul Jerome Fischer has been charged with first-degree property damage after a student reported finding urine on her backpack and belongings at the Minnesota college. The student valued the damage at $2,070 (about £1,560), according to the criminal complaint.

The alleged incident took place on 5 December 2025 at the Olin-Rice Science Center in St Paul. The student told investigators she had left her belongings unattended for about six minutes in a common area outside Fischer's office. When she returned, she found urine on her backpack and items inside.

Fischer, who taught at Macalester for more than 25 years, left the college during the 2025–26 academic year. The case emerged after an investigation into several reports of urine being found in different locations around the science centre.

Student's Complaint Leads to Criminal Charge

The student reported the incident to St Paul police in February 2026. According to the complaint, she believed Fischer was responsible because he was the only person nearby while her belongings were unattended.

She provided investigators with an itemised receipt valuing the damage to her backpack and its contents at $2,070. Prosecutors filed the charge in Ramsey County District Court on 7 October. Fischer was charged by summons and is scheduled to make his first court appearance on 4 November.

The criminal complaint also describes six reports of urine being found at the Olin-Rice Science Center between November 2024 and December 2025. The reported locations included rubbish bins, individuals' water bottles and decorations belonging to other professors.

The reports formed part of the investigation but do not establish that Fischer was responsible for every incident. The charge against him concerns the alleged damage to the student's belongings.

Fischer Told Police He May Have Spilled Urine

During police questioning, Fischer said he had developed a habit over the previous 18 months to two years of urinating into a cup and disposing of the contents in campus rubbish bins or laboratory sinks, according to the complaint.

He told investigators he believed he had accidentally spilled urine on the student's belongings while emptying a container into a rubbish bin near his office on 5 December. His account is recorded in the complaint and has not been tested at trial.

The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that court records did not list a lawyer for Fischer and that the newspaper had sought a response from him. Attempts by The Guardian to contact him were also unsuccessful at the time of its reporting.

College Confirms Former Professor's Departure

Macalester College confirmed it was aware of the criminal charge and that Fischer's employment ended during the 2025–26 academic year. A spokesperson declined to comment further because the matter involved a former employee and remained a legal case.

CBS Minnesota reported in March 2026 that police were investigating the student's allegation. At that stage, the incident had been classified as fourth-degree property damage. The case subsequently proceeded as a first-degree property-damage charge.

If convicted as charged, Fischer faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 (about £7,500). These are statutory maximums, not a prediction of the sentence. Fischer has not been convicted, and the allegations will be considered through the court process.