Ex UW-La Crosse chancellor argues to keep tenure after being fired for appearing in porn

Should Joe Gow be allowed to keep his tenured teaching position after he was fired as chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse for appearing in porn?

A Universities of Wisconsin personnel committee heard arguments on Gow’s status Friday as the university system’s full Board of Regents prepares to vote on the matter on a later date.

Regents voted to terminate Gow’s chancellorship last December after the videos came to light. But he remains employed by the university as a tenured faculty member.

While Gow is continuing to collect a salary as a tenured professor, the university has placed him on leave and has not assigned him to teach any courses since he was fired as chancellor.

In July, a UW-La Crosse faculty committee voted 5-0 to recommend that Gow’s tenure be revoked for “unethical conduct.” James Beeby, the new chancellor leading UW-La Crosse, later concurred with that recommendation.

During a disciplinary hearing Friday, Gow’s attorney Mark Leitner warned that UW would violate Gow’s free speech rights if the system punished him for controversial content that he created on his personal time.

“We need the First Amendment precisely when the danger of stifling controversial, unpopular speech is at its highest. And that’s what we have here in this in this situation,” Leitner said.

Typically, such hearings are closed to the public, but the committee agreed to hear oral arguments publicly at Gow’s request.

During those arguments, Wade Harrison, senior legal counsel for the university system, contended that Gow’s actions have been damaging to UW’s reputation.

“Dr. Gow just doesn’t get it, or is unable to acknowledge that his conduct has been harmful to the UWL campus community and a distraction from its core mission,” Harris told regents who sit on a Personnel Matters Review Committee.

Gow and his wife, Carmen Wilson, appeared in multiple pornographic videos, which they’ve shared to publicly-available sites. They’ve also published two books using pseudonyms about their experiences in the adult film industry, and they’ve created a YouTube channel “Sexy Healthy Cooking,” in which they interview adult film starts and discuss vegan cooking.

During Friday’s hearing, UW’s legal counsel contended Gow has used his association with UW-La Crosse to promote those endeavors.

“Dr. Gow has largely gotten what he wants through this process, a large media presence that continues and a great marketing opportunity for his cooking and adult content,” Harrison said. “Enough is enough. Dr. Joe needs to go.”

In documents submitted prior to Friday’s hearing, attorneys for the university system warned that Gow’s continued employment could have a negative effect on the university’s finances.

“At least one donor has stated publicly that he would ‘kill’ a planned scholarship gift if Gow were not terminated,” the lawyers wrote, before referencing a news release from state Sen. Rob Hutton, a Brookfield Republican who chairs the Legislature’s Committee on Universities and Revenue. “Senator Hutton has made clear that he, a member of the legislature that provides some of the University’s
funding, is opposed to Gow’s returning to teach.”

This fall, the La Crosse campus announced it’s welcoming its largest-ever incoming class. But UW attorneys argued enrollment could take a dive in the future if university leaders allow Gow to continue teaching.

UW’s attorneys have also accused Gow of being insubordinate for allegedly not cooperating with the university’s investigation into his adult content. And UW alleges that Gow violated the university’s technology policy — a charge that Gow denies.

Gow’s legal representation is now being funded by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s Faculty Defense Fund.

“Terminating tenured professors for what they say off hours would diminish academic freedom across the country,” FIRE’s Faculty Legal Defense Counsel Zach Greenberg said in a statement this week. “You may not like Joe Gow or his videos, but the principles that protect him also protect countless dissidents, freethinkers, artists, and others who speak truth to power.”

Gow told reporters he was initially attracted to the university because of its stated commitment to academic freedom, and said he’s eager to return to the classroom.

“I genuinely love teaching, and I’m not ready to just retire and sit at home,” he said.

If Gow does return to teaching, it’s likely he would be assigned to a first-year communications course, according to documents submitted by UW’s lawyers. Should that happen, Gow said he plans to briefly address the recent news stories about him.

“I’d say, ‘There has been some controversy — is there anything I can say that you would like to know that we can clear that up?’” he said. “And get that out of the way straight away, and then get on with the business of teaching the class.”

Gow told reporters Friday he’s not currently creating explicit content, and he’s not sure whether he’ll continue to do so going forward.

“But we certainly wouldn’t want to give up the right to be able to do that if we choose to,” he said. “We live in 2024 (and) we have access to all kinds of material. It’s up to us to choose what we as adults, what we want to access.”

As chancellor, Gow’s annual salary was $262,719. He’s earning $91,915 as a professor.

Following oral arguments Friday, regents on the Personnel Matters Review Committee met behind closed-doors to deliberate further. They’re set to forward a recommendation on Gow’s status to the UW’s full board.