Former Madison Teacher Sentenced, Required to Register as Sex Offender

A former Madison, Nebraska teacher has been sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to register as a sex offender after admitting to attempted sexual abuse of a student. Thirty-year-old Nixel Ortiz received the sentence Friday in Madison County District Court, where a judge also imposed a $2,000 fine and required her to remain on the sex offender registry for 25 years. Ortiz was originally charged with first-degree sexual assault by a school employee, but prosecutors reduced the charge in exchange for her guilty plea. According to court records, Ortiz told investigators she had a sexual encounter with a student at her apartment following his graduation in May of 2024, believing he was 19 years old. Another teacher later reported rumors of a photo circulating on social media involving Ortiz, along with comments she allegedly made about ending up “on the news.” Ortiz had been listed on the Madison Public Schools website as an English Language Learners teacher for grades 6 through 8, as well as an enrichment teacher for grades 7 and 8. Madison is a community of roughly 2,200 residents, located just over 100 miles northwest of Omaha.