Minnesota professor charged over urine-soaked campus vandalism
Bastillepost · 1 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
A biology professor who taught for more than 25 years at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, has been charged after multiple campus incidents in which property was found soaked with urine. Court documents cited in the report say Paul Fischer, 55, admitted he had spent the past two years urinating into cups and emptying them into campus trash bins or science laboratory sinks
Key Points
- The case came to light on December 5, 2025, when a female student returned to her workstation in the science center and found her backpack soaked with a pungent yellow liquid
- The student reported the incident to the college and police, saying Fischer was the only person nearby at the time, and estimated her losses at about US$2,000
- Police found campus public safety had already received six earlier reports of urine appearing in non-bathroom areas of Olin-Rice Science Center, including trash cans, water bottles and decorative items
- When questioned, Fischer said he had developed a habit over the previous two years of putting urine into cups before pouring it into garbage bins or laboratory sinks
- Macalester College said Fischer had left the school during the 2025-2026 academic year, and charging documents said he resigned while the college was investigating the string of incidents
Why It Matters
Fischer is charged with first-degree property damage and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a US$10,000 fine, with a court appearance expected in early November. For Hong Kong readers, the case underscores how repeated low-level property contamination on a campus can escalate into a serious criminal prosecution once losses, patterns and admissions are documented