Wisconsin university chancellor FIRED after producing porn with his wife

The chancellor of a Wisconsin state university was terminated this week after sharing explicit videos featuring himself and his wife online. The University of Wisconsin System’s Board of Regents unanimously voted to dismiss Joe Gow, who had been at the helm of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse since 2007, marking the institution’s lengthiest leadership tenure since the 1960s.

Carmen Wilson, Gow’s wife, also had her unpaid position as associate to the chancellor rescinded, The New York Times reports.

Board head Karen Walsh expressed the board's collective alarm and disgust at Gow's actions, though the specific nature of the actions was not detailed in the statement.

In a Thursday interview, both Gow and Wilson claimed they believe their dismissal was a result of the explicit videos, which were shared under the username "Sexy Happy Couple." They argued that the university's decision to penalize them for the videos violated their freedom of speech rights.

The couple's YouTube channel is branded in the following way: "A plant-powered couple make delicious vegan food with top adult stars. Great conversation, and more!"

The couple had numerous soclal media accounts, including an OnlyFans profile.

"I did not expect that we'd end up where we are now. I thought at least the board, given their staunch support of free speech, would be a little more understanding. But clearly that's not the case," Gow told the Milwaukee Sentinel.

"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 First Amendment to the Constitution, to create and publish books and videos that explore consensual adult sexuality," he continued.

Wilson claimed that censoring individuals goes against the principles of higher education, emphasizing that the videos are only accessible to those actively seeking such content. Mr. Gow, 63, disclosed that he and his 56-year-old wife had been creating videos together for years but had recently decided to make them publicly available on adult websites. The videos, some of which garnered hundreds of thousands of views, never referenced the university or their professional roles. The couple also produced a series featuring interviews with porn actors during cooking segments followed by explicit content.

University of Wisconsin System President Jay Rothman remarked that Gow had caused "significant reputational harm" to the university. Rothman stated that the current plan is for Gow, also a tenured professor of communication, to assume his faculty role after a paid administrative leave. However, Rothman has requested a review of Gow’s tenured status and initiated a law firm investigation into the matter.