Former University of Wisconsin-La Crosse executive, porn producer, pleads to keep his teaching job

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — In a highly watched First Amendment rights case, a former University of Wisconsin campus chancellor who was fired after making pornographic films with his wife argued Friday to keep his tenured teaching job even as he faces removal for unethical behavior.

Joe Gow, who had been chancellor of UW-La Crosse for nearly 17 years, hoped to convince a personnel committee of the University of Wisconsin Board of Trustees to recommend that he be allowed to keep his job and resume teaching communications courses.

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.

Associated Press

Gow’s behavior was “unethical, hypocritical and unacceptable,” university attorney Wade Harrison told the six regents who make up the personnel committee Friday.

“That’s enough,” he said. “Dr. Joe has to go.”

In July, a committee of faculty at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse unanimously recommended that Gow lose his professorship, saying he had exploited his position to generate more interest and revenue from the videos. Lawyers for the university argued Friday that he should lose his tenured professorship because he had damaged the university’s reputation and interfered with its mission.

Gow established that he was unable to recognize his own lapses in judgment, the university’s lawyers argued in papers filed ahead of the hearing.

Associated Press

The regents’ personnel committee discussed the matter behind closed doors after hearing testimony Friday. Its recommendation, also secret, will then be considered at a full meeting of the Board of Regents as early as next week.

The case has attracted national attention both because of the obscenity of a senior university official who made pornographic films and spoke publicly about them, and because of 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 First Amendment is not necessary to protect The Star Spangled Banner,” Gow’s attorney, Mark Leitner, told the committee. “The First Amendment is not necessary to protect easy, comforting speech. It’s the exact opposite. We need the First Amendment precisely when the danger of stifling, controversial, unpopular speech is at its greatest. And that’s what we have here.”

Harrison, the university’s lawyer, countered that the videos themselves were legal, but they did not constitute speech protected by his employment contract.

“Gow’s pornographic videos are not protected by the First Amendment,” Harrison said.

Gow got what he wanted, attention for his books and videos, Harrison said.

The regents asked no questions.

“It’s a very disturbing sign that no regent has asked any questions,” Gow said after the hearing. “To me, that indicates that this was all predestined.”

Asked whether he would consider taking legal action if his mandate were revoked, Gow replied: “Would you blame us if we did?”

The university is pushing for Gow to be fired for unethical conduct, insubordination for refusing to cooperate with an investigation and violations of computer policies. The UW-La Crosse employee handbook requires professors to “exhibit a level of behavior that supports the mission of the university.”

Gow said he and his wife produced the pornographic materials in their spare time. He insists the videos and books never mentioned UW-La Crosse or his role at the university.

Associated Press

However, Gow came under fire in 2018 for inviting porn actress Nina Hartley to speak on campus. She was paid $5,000 out of student tuition to speak at the conference. He got the idea to bring her to campus after he filmed 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 Porn Industry.” But they also star in a YouTube channel called “Sexy Healthy Cooking,” in which the couple cooks meals with porn actors.

Gow’s desire to return to classroom teaching is opposed by his department chair, Linda Dickmeyer. She said that since Gow has not taught in 20 years, he would be assigned general education classes, but she opposes him returning to teaching in any capacity.

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