A former University of Wisconsin-La Crosse chancellor, dismissed for his involvement in the adult entertainment industry, filed a federal lawsuit on Monday in an effort to be reinstated as a professor at the university.
Joe Gow’s case has attracted national attention, not only for the controversy surrounding a high-ranking university official producing pornographic content but also for the broader questions it raises about free speech rights in academia.
Mark Pitsch, a spokesperson for the University of Wisconsin system, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.
In December 2023, the University of Wisconsin regents removed Gow from his role as chancellor after an anonymous complaint revealed that he and his wife, Carmen Wilson, had produced and starred in adult videos. The complaint also highlighted their YouTube channel, "Sexy Healthy Cooking," where they discussed sexual topics, and two e-books they authored under pseudonyms on how pornography enhanced their relationship.
Although Gow had a backup position as a tenured communications professor at UW-La Crosse, he was placed on paid leave by then-interim Chancellor Betsy Morgan following his termination as chancellor, preventing him from assuming his former role. This past September, the university's regents formally terminated his position as a professor after the university’s legal team argued that Gow had acted unethically, violated the terms of his contract, and harmed the institution’s reputation.
Despite the termination, Gow has never apologised for his involvement in producing pornography, and he has made no commitments not to continue. In an interview with The Associated Press, he mentioned that while the "Sexy Healthy Cooking" YouTube series had not been active since summer 2023, he and his wife were open to future projects. "It has been a very expensive hobby and we’re satisfied with what we’ve produced," Gow stated. “But if someone else offered to make a video, we would be open to that conversation.”
Gow’s lawsuit, filed in federal court, claims his firing from his position as a professor violated his First Amendment rights. He argues that the videos and e-books he created were not obscene or illegal, stating that they were produced during personal time, outside of the university environment, and at his own expense. Gow asserts that he never used his position at the university to promote or discuss the content, nor did he encourage students or colleagues to engage with it.
The lawsuit seeks a court order to reinstate Gow as a professor, along with unspecified lost wages and other damages. "As a public employee, Dr. Gow has a First Amendment right to speak as a private citizen on issues of public concern, such as healthy human sexuality and the best ways to promote strong monogamous marriages," the lawsuit states.
In an interview with the AP, Gow explained his decision to file the lawsuit on the first day of the spring semester, saying, "I should be in the classroom today."
A faculty committee at UW-La Crosse recommended Gow's dismissal from his professor position after finding he had engaged in unethical conduct. While the committee acknowledged that producing pornographic content was not unethical, it accused Gow of exploiting his faculty role to generate more interest and revenue for his adult content.
The committee specifically criticised Gow for inviting adult film star Nina Hartley to speak on campus in 2018 without disclosing that he and his wife had made an adult video with her. It also questioned his “intellectual honesty” for promoting the e-books as factual accounts, despite acknowledging that the authors had taken “creative liberties.” Furthermore, the committee raised concerns about Gow's lack of cooperation with the investigation, although Gow maintains that he offered to provide written responses to the inquiries.
