Ex-Wisconsin university chancellor says he’s shocked board that axed him over adult videos wasn’t ‘a little more understanding’

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse chancellor Joe Gow, who was axed over the adult videos he created with his wife, said he was shocked that board members weren’t a “little more understanding” — but maintained that he had no regrets about filming the content.

Gow, 63, — who was fired from his long-term position by the Board of Regents on Wednesday — has argued that he shouldn’t have been given the pink slip because his videos should be protected by the First Amendment.

“I did not expect that we’d end up where we are now,” Gow told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in the aftermath.

“I thought the board, given their staunch support of free speech would be a little more understanding. But clearly that’s not the case.”

He said the board proclaims to be in favor of free speech, even producing annual free speech reports, conducting student surveys and hosting free speech events across the state — including one earlier this month featuring both Democrat and Republican lawmakers that Gow attended.

With all of these free speech events, Gow said he thought nobody on the board would have a problem with his adult content.

Longtime University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow was fired from his position following the revelation that he and his wife made adult videos. AP

“I would say that anything that I do or my wife and I do, we do as citizens in the United States, who have the freedom of the First Amendment in the Constitution, to create and publish books and videos that explore consensual adult sexuality,” he said.

“I just think we have people on the board that say they’re for free speech, but they really aren’t. And I don’t know how they will explain this.”

Gow went on to call for a public hearing comprising students, faculty and staff members who could discuss what is appropriate free speech, and questioned how the board even became aware of his videos and books.

He said his only regret was that he was not more open about his videos — and noted no university property or funds were used in their creation and nothing was said about the college.

“So someone else would have to make those associations,” he said. “And then someone would have to say those are problematic.”

Gow claims the videos he has made with his wife Carmen Wilson are protected under the First Amendment. University of Wisconsin-La Crosse / facebook

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, with some garnering more than 200,000 views, according to the Journal Sentinel.

All of the videos were posted over the past two months.

Gow and Wilson — who met after she chaired the search committee that selected him to lead the university — also wrote two books together detailing their untraditional relationship in the porn industry, though they were penned under pseudonyms.

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. twitter @SteveAustinWI

They published “Monogamy with Benefits: How Porn Enriches Our Relationship” in 2015, followed by “Married with Benefits: Our Real-life Adult Industry Adventures” in 2018. 

In one of the books, the couple note they were “fairly certain a scandal would ensue if our peers were to know about what we’ve been doing.”

UW system regent president Karen Walsh has since accused the chancellor 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.

University of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman also said in a 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.”

Gow and Wilson — who met after she chaired the search committee that selected him to lead the university — also wrote two books together detailing their untraditional relationship in the porn industry. twitter @SteveAustinWI

As a tenured faculty member who has served as chancellor since 2007, Gow 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.

When asked by the Journal Sentinel whether Gow — who had announced in August his plans to retire at the end of the 2023-24 academic year and return to the faculty as a communications professor — will continue making the videos, he shrugged off the question.

“I don’t know, you know, I’m 63 and we’ll see where I’ll go.”