Court records say investigators connected Paul Fischer to six earlier reports of urine found in unusual locations inside the college’s science center.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A former Macalester College chemistry professor has been charged with felony property damage after a student reported finding urine on her backpack and belongings, a case that led investigators to examine six earlier urine-related incidents on campus, according to court records and published reports.
Paul Fischer, 55, is charged with one count of first-degree criminal damage to property over the Dec. 5, 2025, incident at Macalester’s Olin-Rice Science Center. The student estimated that damage to her backpack and items inside totaled about $2,000, according to the criminal complaint cited by CBS Minnesota. Fischer has not been convicted, and he is expected to make a court appearance in early November.
The complaint says the student was working in the science center when she left her backpack unattended for about six minutes. When she returned, she found urine on the bag, according to CBS Minnesota. The student told investigators that she suspected Fischer because she had been working outside his office and believed he was the only other person in the area during the time she was away.
The case expanded after St. Paul police contacted the Macalester College Department of Public Safety. Campus officials told investigators that an internal review had connected Fischer to six reports involving urine found in locations outside restrooms, according to the complaint. Those locations included trash cans, water bottles and decorations belonging to other professors. The charge now before the court concerns the alleged damage to the student’s property.
During an interview with police, Fischer acknowledged that he had developed a habit over roughly two years of urinating into a cup and later emptying it into campus trash cans or laboratory sinks, according to the complaint. He told investigators that urine may have accidentally gotten onto the student’s backpack while he was attempting to empty a cup into a trash can near his office, the New York Post and CBS Minnesota reported.
Macalester records identify Fischer with the college’s chemistry program. College pages from previous academic years list him teaching chemistry courses and participating in chemistry research projects. He had worked at the St. Paul liberal arts college for more than 25 years before his employment ended during the 2025-26 academic year.
A Macalester representative told CBS Minnesota that the college was aware of the criminal charge and confirmed that Fischer’s employment had ended during that academic year. The criminal complaint cited in subsequent reporting says Fischer resigned while the college was investigating the campus incidents. Publicly available reports did not identify an attorney speaking on Fischer’s behalf.
Under Minnesota law, first-degree criminal damage to property can apply when property damage exceeds $1,000, among other circumstances. A conviction can carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. Those figures describe the statutory maximum and do not indicate what sentence would be imposed if Fischer were convicted.
The student’s reported losses exceeded the $1,000 property-value threshold identified in the state statute, according to the approximately $2,000 damage estimate cited in the complaint. Prosecutors would still have to prove the charge in court. The previous campus reports are part of the investigative account but do not by themselves establish criminal responsibility for each incident.
Fischer is due in court in early November as the felony case moves forward. No conviction has been entered, and further details about the evidence, any defense response and the handling of the earlier campus incidents could emerge as the case proceeds.
Author note: Last updated October 12, 2026.