Education
UW-La Crosse chancellor Gow fired, after Regents discover affiliation with porn stars, pornographic video content
UW-La Crosse Chancellor, Dr. Joe Gow, has been fired by the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents for, essentially, discovering he’s posted porn videos with his wife online and has been affiliating with actors in the adult film industry.
Gow and his wife post cooking videos with porn stars on their Twitter and YouTube pages called “Sexy Happy Couple.”
Within one video, there is a promotion to go to a LoyalFans account to “see the full uncut scene” with the porn actor Lauren Phillips.
The Regents unanimous decision to fire Gow came after a closed door meeting on Wednesday.
Gow sent WIZM this statement: “My wife and and I are very grateful to have the First Amendment right to create and publish books and videos that explore consensual adult sexuality. We are disappointed the UW Board of Regents have not given us a public hearing about this.”.
Gow and his wife’s two books, written under the pseudonyms Geri and Jay Hart, are about their experience in the adult film industry. In one video, referring to their book called Monogamy with Benefits: How Porn Enriches Our Relationship, Gow says in the video it’s “not our real names on there because we’re forced to kind of lay low on that, but someday.”
UW System president, Jay Rothman, called Gow’s actions “abhorrent.”
“In recent days, we learned of specific conduct by Dr. Gow that has subjected the university to significant reputational harm,” Rothman stated. “His actions were abhorrent.”
Gow, UW-L’s second-longest tenured chancellor, has been there since 2007. He had already announced he was retiring in August.
And it was at that time Rothman had different words to describe Gow.
“This is a hallmark of excellent stewardship,” Rothman said in the August statement. “(Gow) has provided a steady hand through challenging times and met the moment when we needed him.”
Meanwhile, UW Regents president, Karen Walsh, stated Gow showed a “reckless disregard” for his role at UW-L, adding “We are alarmed, and disgusted, by his actions, which were wholly and undeniably inconsistent with his role as chancellor.”
Back in 2018, Gow was denied his regular raise, after inviting porn star and activist Nina Hartley to speak on campus, which sparked backlash.
At the time, then-UW system President Ray Cross said that Gow “exercised poor judgment” in inviting Hartley to speak.
The Sexy Healthy Cooking account on Twitter first posted on July 15, 2018 — referring to free speech, including Hartley in the post. It posted again, a quote from Hartley, the same month Gow was denied that raise.
So very true! Thank you @ssshforwomen and @ninaland @NinaHartleyLive !! https://t.co/kHgWu5pqvv
— Sexy Healthy Cooking (@SexyHappyCouple) August 10, 2018
Hartley is promoted a few times for joining the couple’s cooking show.
As a tenured faculty member, Gow will be placed on paid administrative leave as he transitions into his faculty role, Rothman said, though he also field a complaint asking for that status to be reviewed.
Provost Betsy Morgan has been named interim chancellor at UW-L. The Onalaska native said, in a statement she was honored to be chosen and that, “(I) want to acknowledge how challenging it is for the campus to face a change like this on such short notice. Please be assured that my sole goal will be to provide stable leadership in the months ahead and I’ll be working closely with student leadership.”
John
December 28, 2023 at 7:59 am
This is Rick Salem’s hero!!
Bob N.
December 28, 2023 at 8:00 am
The darling of the local liberals
R head
December 28, 2023 at 8:36 am
These are the sick people running are universities. Probably a liberal dumb ass. Maybe he can get a job working for Evers he likes dumb asses.
Lucenut
December 28, 2023 at 12:23 pm
It’s been common knowledge that Gow was a full-on perv for 15 years. Why the outrage now? I’m glad to see the communist creeps in the state university system have thrown him to the dustbin.
Come On Man
December 28, 2023 at 5:53 pm
If Joe was a doctor,nurse,firefighter or police officer he would have lost his job immediately.
Morals unbecoming the values of a hospital or city employee.
But instead: As a tenured faculty member, Gow will be placed on paid administrative leave as he transitions into his faculty role, Rothman said, though he also field a complaint asking for that status to be reviewed.
Joe was just around hundreds if not thousands of 18 to 24 year old women everyday. No big deal.
Perhaps this Wisconsin University “tenure” definition needs to be updated to a more common sense version for the 2023-24 standards!
Walden
December 30, 2023 at 9:08 pm
Apparently you don’t think much of 18 to 24 year old women. I have a higher opinion of them and think a fair number of them will not be comfortable meeting with Gow in his office and that is a predicament they should not have to be subjected to.
Distilled
December 30, 2023 at 9:04 pm
Watching the liberal media and pols line up in support of the creep. Watching the Sunday news shows they are also lining up in support of the campus “river to the sea” protesters. No surprises.
Brian
December 30, 2023 at 9:47 pm
Statistically, the majority of Gow’s critics are adult content consumers themselves.
He committed the cardinal sin of public life — he was open and honest about sex. The expectation is that he live a lie in public like his critics do, “to be an example.” Basically,