Signed, Epstein's Mother

Does he have a note?

Demoted dean has not shown up to teach, UW-Whitewater says
The former UW-Whitewater dean demoted after an audit criticized him in December has not showed up to teach this semester, the school acknowledged this week.

Lee Jones has been on paid sick leave since the start of the semester Jan. 17, university officials said. Two faculty members are covering the four education courses he was expected to teach, school spokeswoman Sara Kuhl said.

Jones, 40, was demoted into a backup job as a professor guaranteed in his employment contract after an audit showed he broke university policies on travel and spending. At the time, the university emphasized he would have a full teaching load this semester and reshuffled the college's schedule to accommodate him.

But Jones has yet to show up and recently provided a doctor's note saying he is ill, UW-Whitewater Provost Richard Telfer said. He was required to do so under a new rule adopted after a high-profile sick leave scandal at UW-Madison that calls for a doctor's certification after five days' absence.

"He has followed the protocol for an extended absence due to an illness," Kuhl said.

Jones can continue to collect his $62,000 salary until he exhausts his sick leave. He has eight sick days left and no vacation days, Kuhl said.

Jones' lawyer, David Lasker, insisted that Jones was sick but declined comment on the nature of the illness.

Rep. Stephen Nass, R-Whitewater, said taxpayers need more assurance that Jones is in fact too sick to work.

"I had indications of this several weeks ago the expectation already was that Lee Jones was going to be a no-show," he said. "What a coincidence: he's supposed to be teaching and all of a sudden he's supposedly sick."

Another outrageous situation at a UW campus. Prediction: Representative Nass will be all over this. Prediciton #2: This will be fun to watch.