Urine big trouble now: Professor’s career goes down the drain after alleged ‘pee problem’

ST. PAUL, Minn. (Courtroom Insider) — A professor at Macalester College in Minnesota has been fired and criminally charged after an alleged pee-related incident.

Paul Fischer, 55, is charged with one count of first-degree damage to property after police say he soaked a student’s backpack in urine.

A student filed a complaint with the college after visiting the science center on campus, where Fischer has taught biology for the past 25 years. CBS News reports that the complaint claimed the student left her backpack unattended for roughly six minutes, and when she came back she found it soaked with urine.

The student reportedly told investigators that she believed Fischer did it because her bag was outside his office and no one else was around when the incident occurred.

Twin Cities Pioneer Press reports Macalester College Department of Public Safety conducted an investigation and found that between Nov. 11 and Dec. 5 of last year, Fischer had been connected to six other urine-related incidents. The other incidents involved urine being found in trash cans, individuals’ water bottles, and even other professors’ decorations, according to the outlet.

Fischer allegedly admitted to police that he had “developed a habit” of “urinating in cups, according to Metro. The outlet says he told police that he may have accidentally spilled urine on the student’s bag while going to throw it away.

Fischer’s employment was terminated during the 2025-2026 semester, according to Metro.

If found guilty of the criminal charge, Fischer could spend up to five years in prison and may be required to pay a fine of up to $10,000.