MADISON, Wis. — A former chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Joe Gow, has initiated a federal lawsuit in an attempt to regain his position as a professor following his dismissal linked to his participation in the adult entertainment industry. Gow’s case has attracted widespread media attention, not only for the sensational nature of a prominent university figure being involved in pornographic filmmaking but also for the implications it raises concerning free speech rights.
University of Wisconsin representatives have refrained from commenting on the continuance of the legal proceedings, indicating that the system does not typically engage in discussions about ongoing litigation.
To summarize the situation: Joe Gow was removed from his role as chancellor in December 2023 after the university received an anonymous complaint detailing his and his wife’s activities. They produced a series of “Sexy Healthy Cooking” YouTube videos where they discuss sexual topics, created online pornographic content, and published two e-books under pseudonyms focusing on how pornography has enriched their personal relationship. While he had a tenured position as a communications professor awaiting him at UW-La Crosse, interim Chancellor Betsy Morgan placed him on paid leave following his chancellor firing, effectively barring him from returning to teach. Ultimately, in September, the regents voted to dismiss his position as a professor, citing unethical behavior, breaches of contract, and damage to the university’s image.
Gow has not expressed remorse regarding his production of adult content and has not committed to abstaining from similar projects in the future. He mentioned that his and his wife’s YouTube show has been inactive since summer 2023, stating, “It has been a very expensive hobby and we’re satisfied with what we’ve produced. But if someone else offered to make a video we would be open to that conversation.”
In his legal claims, Gow contends that his removal from his professorial role infringes upon his First Amendment rights. He asserts that the content he and his wife created does not qualify as obscene or illegal and was produced during their personal time, independent of their duties at the university. He maintains that he took no conscious steps to leverage his university role to promote their content or engage students and colleagues about it.
The lawsuit aims to obtain a court ruling to reinstate Gow as a professor, along with compensation for lost wages and additional damages. “As a public employee, Dr. Gow has the 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 legal filing states.
Gow indicated that he decided to file the lawsuit in federal court in Madison on the first day of the spring semester to underscore his belief that he should be present in the classroom.
A university faculty committee that recommended Gow’s dismissal found that while creating pornographic videos was not unethical in itself, they accused him of using his faculty position to gain additional visibility and profit from the content. They highlighted that he brought adult film actress Nina Hartley to campus for a talk in 2018, without disclosing that he and his wife had previously collaborated with her on a sex video. Concerns were also raised regarding his “intellectual honesty” when presenting the e-books as factual, despite his admission that the authors took creative liberties. Gow has expressed that he offered to provide written answers during the investigation, which he believes would clarify his position.
