Nixon says vacation approved by doctor
By DAWNE LEIKER
Facebook postings of a school board member's January vacation have led to questions regarding the member's medical leave status.
A note from Judy Nixon was read at the Dec. 7 USD 489 Board of Education meeting, stating "Judy Nixon was not present and sent a written note saying she would be on medical leave until at least the Feb. 1 meeting."
Facebook postings on the Internet, however, indicated the Nixons were vacationing in Australia in January.
According to Nixon, she underwent surgery Dec. 7 and had written the note prior to her surgery after trying to estimate the length of her recovery time.
Nixon has experienced health issues for nearly a decade and has undergone two previous surgeries for the same ailment.
"In a post-operative consultation with my surgeon, I was informed that I was released to take the trip, which had been planned for a year," Nixon said. "There was no guarantee that I would have been cleared to take the trip."
Nixon still was recovering from the surgery during the trip, but as it was a non-strenuous vacation, the surgeon determined it would not be a detriment to her health.
"This was a cruise in which I was able to sit back and relax and not do any work whatsoever," Nixon said.
She still is recovering from the surgery and said, "There was no intent on my part to misrepresent the situation. Nowhere in the process did I try to cover up the trip."
She is hopeful the surgery is expected to stabilize her condition, and she will be able to continue her position on the board.