‘We are all accountable for what we say and do’: University of Wisconsin chancellor fired over secret porn gig

A University of Wisconsin-La Crosse chancellor was recently fired after online pornographic videos of him and his wife were discovered.

“Upon my recommendation, the UW Board of Regents today terminated Dr. Joe Gow from his position as chancellor of UW-La Crosse effective immediately,” Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman wrote. “In recent days, we learned of specific conduct by Dr. Gow that has subjected the university to significant reputational harm. His actions were abhorrent.”

The board unanimously voted to fire Gow and his wife Carmen Wilson, who held an unpaid position at the university, on Dec. 27 upon learning of the couples’ burgeoning, secretive side hustle producing pornography.

The couple created adult video content and ran a provocative YouTube channel called “Sexy Healthy Cooking,” featuring adult film stars, as a marketing stream for more illicit content. 

The couple have also published two books documenting their experience in the porn industry under the pseudonyms, Geri and Jay Hart: Married with Benefits: Our Real-Life Adult Industry Adventures and Monogamy with Benefits: How Porn Enriches Our Relationship. 

Gow claims the university decision to terminate his contract violated his First Amendment rights and the university’s freedom of expression policy. 

“The regents have a policy that’s called the commitment to academic freedom and freedom of expression, and it’s designed to not only protect but encourage people to explore controversial topics,” Gow said, according to Inside Higher Ed. “I think this sends a very troubling signal to everybody in the Universities of Wisconsin system that the regents really aren’t about free speech.” 

Rothman disregarded Gow’s claims as “ridiculous.” 

“Dr. Gow appears to be equating, in his prior role as a chancellor, that the First Amendment gives him a ‘free pass’ to say or do anything that he pleases,” Rothman said, according to CBS 58. “Dr. Gow’s assertion is ridiculous. We are all accountable for what we say and do. 

“Good judgment requires that there are and must be limits on what is said or done by the individuals entrusted to lead our universities. We expect our chancellors, as the leaders of these great institutions, to be role models for our students, staff, and faculty as well as for the communities we are privileged to serve. 

“We likewise expect our chancellors to put the interests of the universities they lead ahead of their own personal and outside financial interests. We believe these are attributes of great leaders in whom we can all take pride. Unfortunately, Dr. Gow failed to live up to those standards. As a result of that abject failure, Dr. Gow is no longer the UWL chancellor, and it is time for us to turn the page.” 

This isn’t the first time Gow has been reprimanded during his time as chancellor.  

In 2018, he paid Nina Hartley, an adult film performer, $5,000 from the chancellor’s discretionary funds to speak at the university. Her talk was titled “Fantasy Versus Reality: Viewing Adult Media with a Critical Eye.” 

“Apart from my personal underlying moral concerns, I am deeply disappointed by your decision to actively recruit, advocate for, and pay for a porn star to come to the La Crosse campus to lecture students about sex and the adult entertainment industry,” UW system president Ray Cross wrote following the incident. 

Gow reimbursed the $5,000 paid to Hartley and was formally reprimanded “for exercising poor judgment and for a lack of responsible oversight with respect to the use of state funds.” A month later, Gow was denied a $25,600 performance raise, according to Inside Higher Ed. 

Gow recent termination comes just months before he was scheduled to step down from his position as chancellor and assume a faculty role. Whether Gow will be able to keep his academic tenure is now up for review. 

“As a tenured faculty member, Dr. Gow will be placed on paid administrative leave as he transitions into his faculty role at UW-La Crosse,” Rothman wrote. “However, I have filed a complaint this evening with interim Chancellor Betsy Morgan regarding Dr. Gow’s status as a tenured faculty member, asking that such status be reviewed. In addition, an outside law firm has been engaged to undertake a fulsome investigation of the matter. “  

Gow, who held the chancellor position since 2007, was reportedly making over $260,000 annually.