MILWAUKEE — The UW-La Crosse chancellor who was terminated unanimously by the UW System Board of Regents on Wednesday confirmed to Wisconsin's Morning News he is considering all of his legal options to contest the decision.
Dr. Joe Gow was fired after it was discovered he was making sexually explicit and pornographic content with his wife, WTMJ reports. "Sexy Happy Couple" produced a wide variety of videos and written content. Gow's wife, Carmen Wilson, is a former UW-La Crosse professor.
In regards to legal action, Dr. Gow told Wisconsin's Morning News that there was a lack of due process and cited freedom of speech. He alleges the regents did not tell him what policy he violated and was never given a hearing or opportunity to present his case.
“These are serious works [in which] we examine consensual adult sexuality, so we would think that would be protected by the First Amendment,” Dr. Gow told WTMJ. “I’m very concerned that there was no due process around this, and what that entails is having a hearing and I get to know what I’m charged with and I get to reply and make my case. That never happened.”
Gow confirmed he and his wife's content recently became more widely available but said no one was forced to interact or read anything.
When asked if they would negatively impact the university's ability to recruit new students, WTMJ reports, "Gow referred to an adult film actress’ visit to the campus approx. five years ago and a subsequent influx in enrollment as evidence of the contrary."
The Associated Press reports that Gow took heavy criticism for inviting porn actor Nina Hartley to speak at UW-La Crosse in 2018. He paid her $5,000 out of student fees for her appearance. Gow was reprimanded and regents refused to give him a raise that year.
Gow also noted he and his wife did not identify themselves as being aligned with the UW system, therefore, he doesn't believe it should be held against them. WTMJ reports Gow said the motivation behind "Sexy Happy Couple" was to showcase a healthy, sexual couple in an industry where morality comes into question. They also hoped to highlight his wife's began cooking, which includes videos of them cooking meals with porn actors.
Gow told Wisconsin's Morning News, "I think the board is not upholding, A., The First Amendment, nor is it upholding its own policy on academic freedom, or is it upholding a very rich tradition at the University of Wisconsin which is called the fearless sifting and winnowing in the search for the truth, so there are some complexities here that I think people are missing."
His firing was effective immediately, the university announced Wednesday evening. UW President Jay Rothman shared, "In recent days, we learned of specific conduct by Dr. Gow that has subjected the university to significant reputational harm. His actions were abhorrent."
TMJ4 asked former UW Systems Regent, Tim Higgins, for his thoughts on Gow's firing.
Reporter Mariam Mackar asked, "Do you agree with the decision that was made to terminate him?"
"I do," replied Higgins, who acted as Regent on the board from 2011 to 2018. "The citizens of Wisconsin have a right to have their systems represented by people who uphold what is, essentially, a public standard."
Higgins says the issue on the table is not one of First Amendment rights but of contract violation.
"I believe that Dr. Gow does have First Amendment rights, that is certainly the case," explained Higgins. "But as a chancellor, he also signs a contract with the University. They said, "Look, your contract says you would act in a way that was a credit to the system, and you didn't."
Gow planned to retire as chancellor at the end of the spring 2024 semester and transition into a role reaching communication courses. However, Rothman said he planned to file a complaint with UW-L's interim chancellor seeking a review of Gow's tenure.
Rothman told the AP Gow failed to act as a role model for students, faculty, and the community, and mistakenly believes the First Amendment is a “free pass to say or do anything that he pleases.”
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