The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse chancellor, Joe Gow has been fired by the University Board of Regents after it was revealed that Joe is involved in producing and posting porn videos with his wife, Carmen Wilson.
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Chancellor, Joe Gow, has been fired by the University’s Board of Regents after it came to light that Joe was involved in producing and posting of porn videos he made with his wife, Carmen Wilson.
The Board made the decision on December 27th to terminate Joe’s employment citing his “abhorrent” conduct which has caused significant damage to the University’s reputation.
“In recent days, we learned of specific conduct by Dr. Gow that has subjected the university to significant reputational harm. His actions were abhorrent,” UW President Jay Rothman said in a statement.
The controversy started when Joe Gow was exposed for previously paying a porn star thousands and of dollars to speak to students on campus.
The situation quickly escalated when it revealed that Gow was involved in the creation of explicit content, which was posted on platforms such as OnlyFans and Pornhub under the account name “Sexy Happy Couple.”
His films featured well-known adult film stars, have led to accusations of a “reckless disregard for the role he was entrusted with” by UW System Regent President Karen Walsh.
“We are alarmed, and disgusted, by his actions, which were wholly and undeniably inconsistent with his role as chancellor,” Walsh added.
Gow, La Crosse’s second-longest serving chancellor, was placed on paid administrative leave as he transitions into his faculty role due to his tenured position.
Despite this, UW President Jay Rothman announced that a complaint was filed to review Gow’s status as a tenured faculty member, and that a law firm has been hired to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
Gow, in his defensed argued that he never explicitly tied his university position to the explicit videos, saying that he used his personal money to produce the films which falls within his right to free speech under the First Amendment.
“There’s nothing said about the University of Wisconsin; there’s nothing said about the chancellor (on the videos),” Gow told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after his firing.
“So someone else would have to make those associations. And then someone would have to say those are problematic.”