Professor accused of soaking student's backpack in urine admits to disturbing habit
A US college professor is facing a felony charge after being accused of soaking a student’s back in pee.
Science professor Paul Fischer, 55, is accused of causing more than $2,000 worth of damage after soaking the backpack in his own urine, court documents show.
Fischer, who taught at Macalester College in Minnesota for more than 25 years, has been charged with one count of first-degree damage to property.
If he is convicted, Fischer could be given up to five-years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.
Advert
In the complaint, which was filed at the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office last week, the student said she left her backpack unattended at Macalester’s science block for around five minutes or so on 5 December 2025.
But when she returned she noticed the bag was damp and was horrified to discover what she believed to be ‘urine on her backpack’.
The unnamed student told cops that she believed the professor was the culprit as she’d been near his office and he was the only other person in the area at the time.
The student claimed that the incident resulted in her belongings being damaged and provided receipts totalling around $2,070 for the items that were ruined.
Following the complaint from the student, officers from St Paul police contacted the Macalester College Department of Public Safety and was told that ‘an investigation had been conducted, and it was discovered that an individual had been caught urinating around campus and that the individual resigned pending the investigation’.
The individual was identified as Fischer, the complaint said.
The Macalester College Department of Public Safety claimed that between 11 November and 5 December, there had been six reports of urination happening at the campus’ Olin-Rice Science Center and ‘included urine located in trash cans, individuals’ water bottles, and inside other professors’ decorations’, TwinCities reports.
Speaking to police, Fischer reportedly admitted that he had ‘developed a habit’ of ‘urinating in a cup’ and then disposing of the waste around the college’s campus in rubbish bins or lab sinks.
He said that on 5 December, he was emptying one such container of urine into a bin near his office, which was situated near the desk the student had been using.
Fischer told police that he believed the cup of urine may have spilled onto her belongings.
In a statement shared with CBS News, a spokesperson for Macalester College said: “Macalester College is aware of the criminal charge against Paul Fischer.
"Fischer's employment with Macalester ended during the 2025–26 academic year.”
Fischer is due to attend a court appearance over the matter early next month.
Claire Reid