Wisconsin university chancellor claims he was fired for appearing in porn videos
Former University of Wisconsin-La Crosse chancellor Joe Gow has said he was fired by the school’s governing board because members were uncomfortable with him and his wife producing and appearing in pornographic videos.
The Universities of Wisconsin board of regents, which oversees 11 regional campuses, voted unanimously during a hastily convened closed meeting on Wednesday evening to fire Gow.
After the vote, Universities of Wisconsin president Jay Rothman and regents president Karen Walsh issued statements saying the regents had learned of specific conduct by Gow that subjected the university to “significant reputational harm.” Rothman called Gow’s actions “abhorrent” and Walsh said she was “disgusted.” But neither of them offered any details of the allegations.
Gow told the Associated Press (AP) on Thursday that regents had discovered that he and his wife, former La Crosse professor Carmen Wilson, had been producing and appearing in pornographic videos.
He maintained that he never mentioned La Crosse or his role at the university in any of the videos and the firing violated his free speech rights.
“My wife and I live in a country where we have a first amendment,” he said. “We’re dealing with consensual adult sexuality. The regents are overreacting. They’re certainly not adhering to their own commitment to free speech or the first amendment.”
Gow also complained that the regents never told him what policy he violated and he was never given a hearing or other opportunity to present his case. He said he’s contemplating a lawsuit.
“I got an email last night saying I was terminated,” Gow told AP. “I wish I would have had the opportunity to have a hearing. When reasonable people understand what my wife and I are creating, it calms them down.”
Gow had planned to retire as chancellor at the conclusion of the spring 2024 semester and transition into a role teaching communication courses. But Rothman said Wednesday evening that he planned to file a complaint seeking a review of Gow’s tenure.
Rothman said in an email to the AP on Thursday morning that Gow failed to act as a role model for students, faculty and the community and mistakenly believes the first amendment equates to a “free pass to say or do anything that he pleases.”
“Good judgement requires that there are and must be limits on what is said or done by the individuals entrusted to lead our universities,” Rothman wrote.
Rothman added that Gow served at the pleasure of the regents and was not entitled to any specific process.
“That should be abundantly clear to him,” Rothman said.
Gow took heavy criticism in 2018 for inviting porn actor Nina Hartley to speak at La Crosse. He paid her $5,000 out of student fees to appear. Ray Cross, then the universities system president, reprimanded him and the regents refused to give him a raise that year. Gow said then that he was exercising the system’s free speech policies.
Gow and his wife star in a YouTube channel called “Sexy Healthy Cooking” in which the couple cooks meals with porn actors. They also have written two ebooks, “Monogamy with Benefits: How Porn Enriches Our Relationship” and “Married with Benefits – Our RealLife Adult Industry Adventures” under pseudonyms.