Joe Gow, former Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, was terminated from his tenured faculty position by the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents on Friday, following his earlier dismissal as chancellor in late 2023. Both terminations stemmed from the discovery of pornographic videos featuring Gow and his wife, Carmen Wilson, on adult websites.

Initial Termination as Chancellor

Gow, 63, who served as chancellor of UW-La Crosse since 2007, was unanimously terminated from that role by the Universities of Wisconsin System Board of Regents on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. This decision came after the university system learned that Gow and his wife, Carmen Wilson, were posting adult videos on OnlyFans under the name "Sexy Happy Couple."

Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman stated that the university had "learned of specific conduct by Dr. Gow that has subjected the university to significant reputational harm." Rothman described Gow's actions as "abhorrent." UW Regent President Karen Walsh also issued a statement, asserting that Gow had "shown a reckless disregard for the role he was entrusted with at UW-La Crosse to serve students, faculty and staff, and the campus community." Walsh noted that the unanimous vote by the UW Board of Regents to terminate him as chancellor evidenced the "outrage over his behavior," and that board members were "alarmed and disgusted" by Gow’s OnlyFans videos.

Following his termination as chancellor, Gow was placed on paid administrative leave. Rothman also initiated a formal complaint to review Gow’s status as a tenured faculty member and engaged an outside law firm to conduct an investigation into the matter. Gow argued that the regents had overreacted and that his termination violated his freedom of speech.

Rothman issued another statement on Friday, December 29, 2023, claiming Gow "served at the pleasure of the Board of Regents and is not entitled to any specific process" regarding his actions or the termination. Rothman explained that "Good judgment requires that there are and must be limits on what is said or done by the individuals entrusted to lead our universities," and that chancellors are expected to be "role models for our students, staff, and faculty as well for the communities we are privileged to serve."

Tenured Faculty Status Revoked

Despite being fired from his chancellor post, Gow maintained a tenured faculty role until September 2024. His tenured faculty status had been in limbo for months. In July, a faculty panel voted 5 to 0 to recommend his termination from his tenured position after a June hearing. Linda Dickmeyer, chair of the Department of Communication Studies, which housed Gow’s faculty position, raised concerns about Gow’s ability to return to teaching, questioning his efficacy and arguing that notoriety "would follow him into that classroom." James Beeby, Gow’s successor as UW-La Crosse chancellor, concurred with the faculty panel's recommendation.

On Friday, September 27, 2024, the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents voted unanimously to oust Gow from his tenured faculty position. This marked the second time Gow was fired by the Universities of Wisconsin over his adult entertainment activities.

Background on Gow's Adult Entertainment Activities

Gow and his wife, Carmen Wilson, have maintained accounts on X/Twitter and YouTube since 2018, describing themselves as a "passionate plant-powered couple" interested in "cooking, conversing, and shooting with top adult video stars." These accounts encouraged users to visit their LoyalFans and OnlyFans sites for "fully explicit scenes." The couple used the moniker "Sexy Happy Couple" on their social media profiles, where their faces were clearly visible. Their social media pages also advertised their videos as available on PornHub and OnlyFans.

Gow and Wilson also published two books together about making adult films, using the pen names Geri and Jay Hart. These books are titled "Married with Benefits: Our Real-Life Adult Industry Adventures” and “Monogamy with Benefits: How Porn Enriches Our Relationship.” On their Amazon profile, they described themselves as a married couple "who serve in executive positions at two well-known organizations in the U.S."

This was not the first instance of Gow facing scrutiny for his actions related to the adult industry. In 2018, he was disciplined by the previous UW president after inviting noted performer and veteran sex educator Nina Hartley to campus. Conservative publications, including the Murdoch family-owned New York Post, have called for Gow to be disciplined and stripped of his tenure. A New York Post editorial on Saturday, December 30, 2023, described Gow's posting adult videos on OnlyFans as part of "a rot in higher education" which "runs wide and deep." The editorial board stated Gow "enjoyed the frisson of being a prominent figure in education who dabbled in smut," and characterized his campus invitation to Hartley as "exactly the kind of coy but in-your-face behavior weirdos with respectable public personae engage in."

Key Facts

  • Joe Gow was terminated as Chancellor of UW-La Crosse on December 27, 2023, and from his tenured faculty position on September 27, 2024.
  • Both terminations were due to his involvement in posting pornographic videos with his wife, Carmen Wilson, on adult websites like OnlyFans.
  • Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman called Gow's actions "abhorrent" and cited "significant reputational harm" to the university.
  • The UW Board of Regents voted unanimously for both terminations.
  • Gow and Wilson operated under the name "Sexy Happy Couple" on social media and published two books about their experiences in the adult industry.
  • Gow was previously disciplined in 2018 for inviting a former adult film actress to speak on campus.