The University of Wisconsin chancellor who previously paid a porn star thousands of dollars to speak to students on campus was fired Wednesday, December 27 after it was revealed he films his own adult content with his wife and posts the X-rated videos online.
The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents decided unanimously to fire longtime UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow, citing his “abhorrent” conduct in a vague statement.
“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.
Gow,
La Crosse’s second-longest serving chancellor appears in various online
porn videos with his wife, Carmen Wilson, using “Sexy Happy Couple” as
their public account name.
The films, which sometimes feature well-known porn stars, appear on sites like OnlyFans as well as Pornhub.
UW System Regent President Karen Walsh accused Gow, 63, of showing a “reckless disregard for the role he was entrusted with.”
“We are alarmed, and disgusted, by his actions, which were wholly and undeniably inconsistent with his role as chancellor,” Walsh added.
Due to the fact Gow is a tenured faculty member who has served as chancellor since he will be placed on paid administrative leave as he transitions into his faculty role.
However, Rothman said he
filed a complaint Wednesday evening with interim Chancellor Betsy Morgan
asking that Gow’s status as a tenured faculty member be reviewed.
An outside law firm has been hired “to undertake a fulsome investigation of the matter,” Rothman said.
In
defense, the former chancellor claimed that although his face was shown
in the videos, he never revealed any connections to his prestigious
university position.
“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.”
He
pointed out that no school funds were used to create the content, which
explores consensual adult sexuality and falls within his right to free
speech under the First Amendment, he said.
Gow also claimed he
was not contacted ahead of the Wednesday meeting that fired him and
questioned whether the board afforded him due process.
Earlier this month, Gow and his wife launched a YouTube cooking channel dubbed “Sexy Healthy Cooking” in which they invite adult porn stars to cook vegan meals occasionally ending with Gow and his wife walking suggestively offscreen with their guest.
Their X account directs their followers to view their OnlyFans sites “for fully explicit scenes.”
