MADISON, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin Board of Trustees voted unanimously Friday to fire a communications professor who sought to keep his job after he was fired as chancellor of one of the University’s campuses. system for making pornographic films.
Joe Gow, who served as chancellor of UW-La Crosse for nearly 17 years, argued last week that he should be allowed to maintain a teaching position on campus. But the university’s lawyers argued he was unethical, violated the terms of his employment contract, damaged the university’s reputation and interfered with its mission .
The regents met behind closed doors Friday morning before publicly voting to fire Gow. There was no discussion in public session before the council vote.
Gow said he plans to take legal action to keep his teaching job. He did not immediately respond to the message Friday morning.
Gow has been on paid leave from his professorship since the regents fired him as chancellor in 2023, shortly after university leaders became aware of the videos posted on pornographic websites.
The case has attracted national attention both for the salaciousness of a senior university official making pornographic films and speaking publicly about them, and for the questions it raises about the right to free speech.
Gow argued that his videos and two e-books he and his wife, Carmen, published about their experiences in adult films are protected by the First Amendment. The university’s lawyer argued that Gow’s videos themselves are legal, but they are not protected by his employment contract.
Zach Greenberg, an attorney with the free speech advocacy group Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, called the regents’ decision “a major blow to academic freedom and free speech.”
“FIRE has said time and time again: Public universities cannot sacrifice the First Amendment to protect their reputations,” Greenberg said. “We are disappointed that the UW has caved to donors and politicians by throwing a tenured professor under the bus.”
Republican lawmakers already view Wisconsin’s college system as a liberal incubator. Last year, they forced it to scale back its diversity initiatives. System Chairman Jay Rothman has tried not to further alienate conservatives as he seeks approval for an $855 million increase in the next state budget.
Gow’s hope of returning to classroom teaching was met with opposition from his department chair, Linda Dickmeyer. She said that because Gow hadn’t taught in 20 years, he would be assigned general education classes, but she opposed him returning to teaching in any role.
Gow was criticized in 2018 for inviting porn actress Nina Hartley to speak on campus. She received $5,000 in tuition fees for appearing. He got the idea to bring her to campus after filming a pornographic video with her, the university said.
Gow and his wife’s e-books were written under pseudonyms: “Monogamy with Benefits: How Porn Enriches Our Relationship” and “Married with Benefits – Our Real-Life Adventures in the Adult Industry.” But they also star in a YouTube channel called “Sexy Healthy Cooking,” in which the couple cooks meals with pornographic actors.
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