Former University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow is suing the Universities of Wisconsin after being fired from his faculty position for producing adult content.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, claims the Universities of Wisconsin violated his constitutional right to freedom of speech and seeks a court order to restore him to his professorship, along with compensation for lost wages and other damages, according to the formal complaint.
The Universities of Wisconsin removed Gow as chancellor in December 2023 after an anonymous complaint revealed that he and his wife, Carmen Wilson, had discussed sexual matters in their “Sexy Healthy Cooking” YouTube videos, created and appeared in online pornographic videos and published two e-books about how porn enhances their relationship under pseudonyms, according to NBC News.
After his termination in September, Gow told reporters he intended to sue, arguing the decision violated the board’s commitment to academic freedom and free expression, according to NBC News.
The lawsuit names Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman, former interim Chancellor Betsy Morgan, current Chancellor James Beeby and several UW regents. It contends that Gow’s dismissal contradicts the Universities of Wisconsin’s stated commitment to free expression, referencing UW Policy Document 4-21, which protects the right to speak and write as a university member or private citizen on scholarly or public matters without institutional discipline, according to NBC News.
Gow had a backup role as a communications professor at UW-La Crosse, but after he was dismissed as chancellor, interim Chancellor Betsy Morgan placed him on paid leave, preventing him from transitioning into the position, according to CBS News.
The regents formally terminated his professorship in September after university attorneys argued he had acted unethically, violated his contract and harmed the institution’s reputation.
UW-Madison Political Science Professor Howard Schweber highlights the complexity of such cases.
“People with highly different leadership experiences can be held to different standards,” said Schweber. “There is at least room here that his being fired as chancellor is in one category and as a professor is in another.”
Public employees — like university professors — don’t have unfettered free speech rights, especially when their actions could disrupt their workplace, according to Schweber. But, Schweber argues Gow’s content, which he sees as expressing healthy sexual attitudes, could be protected if it is deemed a matter of public concern.
“The rules are not clear — especially in the internet age,” Schweber said. “People assume their online and personal personas are separate, but the law doesn’t make conceptual space for that.”
Gow said on Monday he hoped to return to teach communications classes. The lawsuit is currently pending, according to WXow.com.